Transitions
by Evelyn CMB
Summary: Rumors abound as Teela and Adam set a quick wedding date and Adora and Hawk settle in on Eternia. Asked to investigate the activities of "The Specter," the group soon finds that someone is trying to kill off the royal family the old-fashioned way...
1. Chapter 1: New Beginnings

_A/N: Hi all! We're ba-ack! For those of you just joining us, some important notes: Teela, Marlena, and Randor now know the truth about Adam and Adora. With Skeletor gone and the Horde defeated, Adora and Sea Hawk have moved to Eternia. Serena is the new Sorceress. Adam and Teela are engaged, as are Sea Hawk and Adora. This story picks up at the end of the engagement party that ended "A Brother's Forgiveness" (formerly "Into Etheria"). I think that covers it! Hope you enjoy the new story, and as always, reviews/private messages/etc. are welcome!_

* * *

Princess Adora smiled to herself as she strolled down the hallway towards the ballroom

Princess Adora smiled to herself as she strolled down the hallway towards the ballroom. She was incredibly pleased that Adam had chosen to propose to Teela tonight, and that the two of them were celebrating their engagement along with her and Hawk. The sudden announcement had taken a lot of the pressure off of her. After all, being the prodigal princess had its drawbacks. The nobility had reacted to her with wild differences. Some of them fawned over her, others stared at her in open distrust, and still others were kind to her face, but whispered behind her back…like the two whose voices were carrying down the hall from a nearby alcove.

"You know she was raised by the Horde, don't you?" a woman's voice said, not quite quietly enough.

"Everyone knows that," another female voice replied. Neither of them sounded familiar to Adora. Her step automatically slowed and softened as she tried to decide whether to march past as if she hadn't heard or retreat back the way she had come. Her face flushed as they continued.

"I can't believe Randor and Marlena welcomed her back so easily," the first voice said. "I don't care if she did help stop the Horde last month. It was probably her fault they were here in the first place."

"I quite agree," said the second voice. "I'm sure she learned horrible things growing up under such a terrible influence. It must have damaged her in some way."

"Well of course," the first woman replied in disgust. "Look at her taste in men. A pirate? What ever would we do if anything happened to Adam? We would have a former pirate for a king! How disgraceful!" The woman's voice rose as the horror of this thought permeated her mind completely.

A mixture of anger and shame filled Adora from a tight ball in her stomach to the tightness in her throat. She turned on her heel to leave, but their voices followed her.

"He's not much better," the second woman sneered. "Marrying the captain of the guard. Not only a commoner, but a warrior! That's hardly a suitable background for a queen."

"Well look at the example their father set, marrying an alien," the first woman pointed out, her voice finally fading as Adora put distance between her and them. Her eyes filled with tears.

Maybe she should have confronted them, but in spite of the fact that Adora had faced countless evil villains, the pettiness of the royal court was something she was rather unprepared for. The rebellion had, oddly enough, accepted her pretty quickly, considering that she had been raised by the Horde. Part of that, she knew, was because the Whispering Woods had allowed her inside. If she had been evil, the woods would have known. Her rebel friends had accepted that easily, and welcomed her leadership and skills. She had been surrounded by good people who were fighting for freedom.

Eternia, Adora was finding, was different. Without an evil ruler to unite the current leaders, some of them had become obsessed with finding ways to increase their power, or had become focused on things that really didn't matter in the grand scheme of life. Adora knew she shouldn't let their comments get to her, but she hadn't learned yet how to handle them with the aplomb Adam did.

Adora rounded a corner and slammed into a hard chest. Strong hands caught her arms and steadied her as she lost her balance.

"Adora!" Prince Adam exclaimed. "Sorry about that!" He immediately caught her mood. "What's wrong, sis?"

Adora quickly shook her head, her blond hair flying about. "Nothing, Adam."

"Adora," Adam said, his voice full of reproach. His blue eyes compelled her to answer. "Come on, spill it."

She gave him a brave smile, blinking back the tears that had threatened. "Really, Adam, it's nothing. Just a few gossiping courtiers."

Adam's face hardened slightly. "What did they say?" he asked quickly.

"Nothing I haven't already heard over the last month."

Adam sighed. "It's just awful. You're a dangerous Horde warrior who is marrying a pirate, and your cowardly brother is marrying his bodyguard," he guessed.

That brought a smile to Adora's face. "You're close. They left out the coward part, and added that Father married an alien."

Adam's jaw dropped. "An alien?" He burst out laughing, throwing his head back. "I never thought of it that way. I must find out who these ladies are and congratulate them on making me think of my mother in a new light."

Adora chuckled with him, though it wasn't as heartfelt as Adam's laugh. "I'm afraid I don't know who they are," she admitted. She shook her head. "I envy you, Adam. How do you let it roll off of your back so easily?"

"Practice, my dear sister, practice," Adam said, offering her his arm. Adora slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, feeling better. "When you've been called a cowardly lazy goof-off as much as I have, you start to realize how little other people's opinions matter." They strolled past the alcove, but it was empty now.

"I guess we missed them," Adora said as she glanced over.

Adam grunted noncommittally, then abruptly changed the subject. "Have you seen Grandfather?"

"Not since he first came in and congratulated us," Adora said slowly. "Why?"

Adam shrugged. "I was just hoping to talk with him, but I haven't seen him in the last couple of hours."

"Maybe he got tired and turned in," Adora suggested. "He did arrive only an hour before the party began."

"Yeah, probably," Adam agreed.

* * *

Miro, former king of Eternia, watched the celebration before him from a darkened corner. The radiant joy on the faces of his grandchildren and their espoused was incredible. He absently scratched at his white beard. He had felt that joy once, but it had never been publicly celebrated the way Adam and Adora were getting to celebrate tonight. He felt a surge of jealousy towards his own grandchildren, and he turned away, ashamed of the feeling.

_If only things had been different. If only I had dared to defy my father. _

The familiar ache in his heart returned as he remembered things he had buried for some time. So much had gone wrong. And still, after all these years of searching, he had found nothing. Yet…Miro gazed at his grandchildren. Had things worked out differently, he wouldn't have them, or Randor. Part of him balked at the very thought. If only he could find-

"It's a happy day, isn't it Father?" Randor asked, his voice booming with cheerfulness as he came up alongside Miro and clasped a hand to his shoulder.

"Yes indeed," Miro quickly agreed, hiding the turmoil he felt inside.

"I bet it brings back quite a few memories," Randor said meaningfully.

"That it does," Miro said more quietly. _Just not the ones you're thinking of._ He had hidden the truth from his son for years. He had no intention of revealing it now.

* * *

"Adam, I've been thinking," Teela said the next morning as they prepared for their training session. Her tone was so solemn that Adam's heart went into his throat. With an effort, he cast a grin her way.

"You changed your mind already?" he quipped. "I thought I had at least three weeks."

"Oh no, you're not getting out of marrying me that easily," Teela teased back. Adam's heart slipped back into his chest where it belonged. She handed him his sword and shield, which Adam pulled a face at. He rarely used a shield as He-Man, and as Adam he found it cumbersome. Teela ignored the look.

"So what have you been thinking about?" Adam asked as they took a few test swings at each other.

"Well, I know it's customary for royalty to have at least a year-long engagement," Teela began, drawing out her words.

"And you want ours to be longer so you can stay on as Captain of the Guard?" Adam guessed. He had expected her to have problems with resigning her post, which she would eventually have to do. "You don't have to resign until you're queen, Teela."

"It's not that!" Teela snapped in protest. She swung hard at him, the force of her sword against his shield sending him back a few steps.

"Hey, take it easy!" Adam protested. He swung his sword at her shield half-heartedly. "I'm not a mind-reader, Captain. Spill it."

"I think we ought to have a shorter engagement." Her voice turned into an odd mix of pleading and determination.

"Okay," Adam said, ducking behind his shield again. "Like what? Ten months?" His mind raced ahead. He was pretty sure he could get his parents to accept that relatively easily.

"Actually, I was thinking that we should honor our childhood pledge," Teela said in a rush, giving a backhanded swing at the same time. Adam dropped his guard and stood rock-still as her dull blade slammed into his right arm. He staggered slightly to the side. "I'm sorry!" Teela exclaimed, her face reddening.

Adam's blue eyes sought her emerald green ones and locked on. "Teela, that gives us less than five months," he said in shock.

Teela bit her lip and broke eye contact. "I know, Adam, but if it was important enough to keep me from becoming the next Sorceress, it's important enough to honor, isn't it?"

There was a short silence as he considered her words. "You're right," he said, as if that had never happened before.

"Besides," Teela added, bringing her eyes back up to meet his gaze, which had never left her face, "we've been through Blazes and back, Adam. There are no promises in life, and I don't want to miss a single minute of being with you." Her voice broke slightly.

Adam dropped his sword and shield and stood in front of her in two strides, cupping her face in his hands. "Your impatience is going to cause me a lifetime of trouble, you know that Captain?" he asked roughly.

Teela grinned saucily at him. "Would you have it any other way?"

"No," Adam admitted easily. "I'll talk to my parents, Teela, and see what I can do. But they may not agree to it. It's bound to start the rumor mills grinding."

Teela didn't get a chance to respond as Adam kissed her. When he pulled away, she couldn't help but tease him again. "Aren't we supposed to be practicing?"

"You started it," Adam pointed out with a wicked grin. "I guess I'm finally rubbing off on you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Teela asked, waving her sword threateningly.

"You're starting to relax and have some fun," Adam pointed out. He ducked as she swung her sword over his head. "Hey, you're supposed to protect me, not chop my head off!"

"Oops, sorry," Teela said sweetly.

"I'll bet," Adam growled playfully, picking up his own sword and shield. "Let's get to it, Captain."

* * *

"Four months?" Queen Marlena stared at her son in dismay. "Tell me you're kidding, Adam."

Adam returned his mother's gaze steadily. "No, Mother, I'm serious."

King Randor cleared his throat as he straightened up. "Adam, surely you realize the misunderstandings that could arise from this."

Adam nodded slowly, assessing his parents' faces as he tried to figure out if they were "misunderstanding" something themselves. They looked worried, but not dismayed. "I do, Father, but we don't want to put this off any longer."

"But you just got engaged two days ago," Marlena protested. "Why are you rushing the wedding?"

"Mother, after all Teela and I have been though, do you really have to ask that?" Adam challenged her softly, his blue eyes begging her to understand.

Marlena's objections died in her throat. Adam had thought Teela was dead for a short time, and it had nearly destroyed him. He had patiently waited to ask her to marry him until things had settled back down, but she could tell from the determination in his eyes that his patience was nearing an end. And if she had to guess, Marlena would say Teela's patience was already gone.

Randor understood as well, but tried one last time. "Adam, can't you wait a few months more? You know the traditional engagement is one year, and usually longer for royalty. It's one thing to cut it short by a month or two, but a four-month engagement? If you rush it like this, people will think-" He stopped, his face flushing slightly.

"And in nine months, when no baby appears, they will know they were wrong," Adam said firmly. "I don't want to cause the two of you any trouble, but I'm not willing to put off our wedding just for the sake of perception."

"Adam, the courts are already in an uproar," Randor said slowly, unsure of how much to share with his son. "I don't want to upset you, but-"

"I already know," Adam interrupted. At Randor's doubtful look, he ran through the litany again. "It's disgraceful that Adora was raised by the Horde and is marrying a pirate. It's a horrible thing that the cowardly prince is marrying his bodyguard. But of course what could one expect, when their father married an alien?"

Marlena laughed at that. "That one's still around, is it?"

Randor smiled ruefully. "We did have our share of rumors and animosity to contend with as well, didn't we, Marlena?" The two exchanged a loving glance full of memories.

Adam hesitated for a second, then interjected, "Besides, if you count our childhood engagement…"

"What?" Marlena's eyes widened as Randor's narrowed.

"I heard the two of you talking about arranged marriages when I was a boy," Adam explained. He relaxed and enjoyed sharing the story, hoping he had them now. His mother was already in his corner, and he was pretty sure this would clinch Randor's support as well. "I panicked, thinking I didn't want to marry one of these courtiers who were already being paraded around me. I found Teela and got her to agree to marry me…when we were both twenty-five." He paused, savoring the astonishment on his father's face and the smile growing on Marlena's.

"But that wasn't a real engagement," Randor protested weakly.

"It kept Teela from becoming the next Sorceress," Adam countered. Randor's mouth dropped open. "So she and I think that since we both, as adults, have decided we want to marry, we should honor that childhood pledge as well."

"And Teela turns twenty-six in less than five months," Marlena said aloud, comprehending the rush now.

Randor stared at his son for a full minute, then a reluctant grin crossed his face. "Perhaps I should hand the throne over to you now," he said, shaking his head.

"What? Why?" Adam asked, alarmed.

"Because you're getting very good at outmaneuvering me," his father said, chuckling. Adam joined in, relieved Randor had been joking. Randor clapped him on the shoulder. "Let me sleep on it, Adam. I'll give you my answer in the morning." He kept his concerns buried inside.

* * *

Teela sat with her mother and her adopted father, discussing the same topic and receiving the same reaction from Duncan. Teelana, or Lana as she had taken to being called, was less hung up on established traditions and public expectations.

"Teela, think of what people will say if you and Adam rush to get married," Duncan objected.

"I know, Father, but I really don't care," Teela replied, keeping control of her temper with an effort.

"They did make a pledge to each other as children," Lana reminded Duncan.

Duncan snorted. "A childhood pledge of that sort means nothing."

"How can you say that?" Teela demanded, her ire starting to rise. "That pledge kept me from taking Mother's place in Grayskull!"

"Thank the Ancients," Lana murmured fervently.

"I've watched Adam come close to death more times in the last year than I care to count," Teela continued heatedly. "Life is too uncertain to delay our wedding just because a few pompous members of the court have nothing better to do than gossip about why it's in four months instead of a year!"

"You're going to have to learn to control that temper of yours, daughter," Lana observed mildly. "A queen cannot go spouting off like that."

Duncan nodded in agreement. "And a proper engagement will give you more time to develop your self-control."

Teela bit her lip and looked her father square in the eye. "We are getting married in four months."

"Provided the king and queen agree to this idea," Duncan said a bit dryly. "After all, King Randor has to perform the ceremony."

"My father will give me an answer in the morning, but I think he's going to agree," Adam's voice came from the doorway. He stared at his mentor in concern as he entered the room. "I didn't think this would bother you, Duncan."

Man-at-Arms could see that Adam was indeed upset by his reaction, and he hastened to explain himself to the prince. "Adam, please try to understand. I'm very pleased that the two of you are getting married. But Teela is my little girl. I don't want people thinking-" Like Randor, he stopped short of putting it into words. His face paled, as if he thought that maybe this idea was actually true.

"Father!" Teela gasped, her face reddening.

"She's not, and she won't be," Adam assured his mentor, even as he placed a restraining hand on Teela's shoulder. A tremor ran through her as she tried to get a hold of her temper. "Duncan, I waited nearly seven years for her to know the truth about me. Then I almost lost her. Please don't ask me to wait any longer. Let us do this while Eternia is still at peace."

Duncan stared hard at Adam for what seemed like an eternity. He could see in the younger man's eyes that if he asked him to wait, Adam would. He respected Duncan too much to go against his wishes.

"Please Father," Teela said softly, her green eyes luminous. She too realized that Adam would not go against her father, even if his own parents gave their blessing.

Duncan relented with a shake of his head. "How can I argue against you two? I'll go along with whatever your father decides, Adam."

Teela let out an excited squeal. "Thank you, Father!" She hugged him, then turned to her mother. "We have so much do to…"

"Provided King Randor agrees," her mother admonished dryly. Teela settled down and nodded.

"Thank you, Duncan," Adam echoed. Their eyes met in understanding. Duncan raised an eyebrow. "You know better," Adam said quietly to his mentor's unspoken question. Duncan inclined his head in acknowledgement. He did know better. Adam almost always did the right thing.

Lana turned to Duncan as Teela and Adam left. "You shouldn't have given them such a hard time," she chided him gently.

Duncan frowned. "You don't know how vicious the court gossips can be."

Teelana raised an eyebrow. "After all they have suffered, I seriously doubt a round of rumors are going to bother Adam and our daughter."

"We'll see," Duncan replied grimly.

* * *

Adam frowned as he entered his father's study. The king's face was stern, and as Randor sighed heavily, Adam knew he wasn't going to like his father's answer.

"Adam, after thinking it over, I've decided that I just can't allow you and Teela to subject yourselves to the horrible gossip that would result over such a short engagement," the king said without preamble. "It does harm not only to the two of you, but also to the family and the reputation of the kingdom."

"But Father," Adam protested half-heartedly, already knowing he wouldn't be able to change Randor's mind, "surely you're not going to let a bunch of court gossips dictate your decision."

Randor's face reddened slightly, and Adam realized with a start that he'd said the wrong thing.

"I certainly hope not," another voice chimed in from behind Adam.

"Grandfather!" Adam exclaimed as he turned around.

Miro stared at Randor, tension radiating from him. "Am I to understand there is a problem with Adam marrying Teela?"

"No, there's a problem with the timing," Randor countered. He looked to his father, expecting his support. "They want to get married in four months."

"So?" Miro challenged, his brown eyes hard. "They've known each other their entire lives. What's the big deal?"

Stunned by his grandfather's heated response, Adam remained silent, watching the exchange between the two men. He had never seen his grandfather so riled.

"It's just not proper!" Randor asserted.

"Proper?" Miro snapped. "Is it a fact that your son was nearly killed by the Talisman of Kaspanya less than a year ago?"

"Yes," Randor replied irritably.

"And didn't he almost die again when he was wounded on Etheria?" Miro continued, his eyes flashing and his voice growing louder with each question. "And didn't he believe Teela to be dead for more than a week? And you're worried about some petty gossip?" Randor stared at his father as if he had never seen him before.

Miro whirled to Adam. "Your father isn't the only one who can marry the two of you. So can I. If he won't do it, I will." He strode out of the room.

Adam and Randor locked gazes. "What was that all about?" Adam asked in shocked wonder.

"I have no idea," Randor replied. He sighed heavily again, and Adam's heart sank. Randor looked out the window, then turned back to his son. "However, he's right, Adam. He can marry the two of you."

"I won't do it without your blessing," Adam said quietly. "Teela knows that." He stood still, waiting for his father's decision.

Randor gave a half-smile, pride in his son filling him. "I hated saying no to begin with, Adam. And with both your mother and grandfather in your corner…." He shook his head, silently thankful for the turn of events. He welcomed an excuse to give in. "Four months it is."

A grin split Adam's face. "Thank you, Father," he said. He reached out a hand, which Randor took. "Thank you."

Inexplicably, Randor felt the need to give his son a hug. He pulled the prince close and slapped him hard on the back. "I hope you know what you're in for."

Adam returned the hug, then stepped back, the grin still on his face. "From the gossips or Teela?" he quipped.

Randor laughed. "Both."

* * *

Miro marched down the hall without looking to either side. He knew he had overreacted. But he didn't want anyone taking away Adam's happiness as his had been taken. His steps slowed as he came to a balcony, where he could look out towards the Vine Jungle. He took a few breaths to steady himself.

He understood better than anyone how Adam and Teela felt. Unlike many people in love, they knew how fragile, how precarious, their lives were, and Miro was proud of them for wanting to ignore the gossips and get married quickly. They needed to live life to the fullest while they could. There were no guarantees it would last.


	2. Chapter 2: Trouble's Rumble

The man cursed under his breath as he listened to yet another peasant bemoan his sad state of affairs. If all had gone as planned, he would have been king by now. He had planned it so perfectly. Get rid of the king and undermine the cowardly prince when he took his father's place. The daughter was raised by the Horde, so no one wanted her to rule. It was so simple. But no, Skeletor had missed, and gotten the prince with Kaspanya's talisman instead. And the stupid boy hadn't even had the decency to die. Instead, he survived, and his brush with death had garnered sympathy from among the people.

* * *

As if that hadn't been bad enough, Adam had then gone off to fight with his sister against the Horde. The people warmed to him even more, especially when he came back wounded. The man still wondered how the prince had been hurt. No one seemed to know. Then, not long after Adam returned, the entire family had been kidnapped. The man glowered as he recalled that. He had been so close to claiming the throne then, but that fool Man-at-Arms had brought in King Miro to sit on the throne until they could locate Adam and his parents.

And of course, with Teela presumed dead and Adam grieving, the entire kingdom had rallied around their prince. Her return and their subsequent engagement had made him the darling of the people, the fact that she was a commoner not seeming to bother anyone but the man who now sat impatiently drumming his fingers. Then there was the battle with the Horde not much more than a month ago—Adam, Teela, and Adora had helped defeat Horde Prime himself. Add to that the fact that Adam had suddenly seemed to settle down...the man ground his teeth together. His own followers were now unsure that he was right in claiming that Randor's children were unfit to rule.

The man's mind raced as the peasant continued to plead his case. What he needed was a way to kill the king and prove that Prince Adam truly was a coward...or at the very least, not the almost-perfect prince everyone seemed to take him for. Adora was still not trusted; she wouldn't be a problem. The peasant's words suddenly caught his attention.

"What did you say?" he growled.

"P-please, my lord, I said I just received word that the prince and his bride are to b-be married in four months," the peasant stammered. "They are coming to look at my flowers next week. If they buy the flowers from me, I'll have the money to pay you. At least give me some time to see if they plan to buy them from me."

The man's eyes glittered in anticipation. _So, the very branch I need to prune is coming directly to my domain, _he thought, excitement building within. _And the wedding is sooner than is proper. Perhaps Prince Adam isn't as pure as everyone thinks. I could use this to my advantage. Or maybe I can get rid of him once and for all._

He knew he could not show his pleasure at these thoughts. "I will give you two weeks," he said slowly, staring stonily at the peasant. "And I expect to know exactly when the royal family will be visiting, so I can send someone to ensure you're not lying to me." He clenched his fist threateningly.

"Of course, my lord," the peasant assured him hurriedly. "I will let you know as soon as the details are confirmed."

The man dismissed the peasant with a wave, then returned to his traitorous thoughts, his fingers again drumming relentlessly on the arm of his chair.

* * *

Teela bit her lip as she helped her mother scrub the floors of the small house Lana was moving into. Randor had offered Teelana a suite in the palace for as long as she wished, even forever, but the former sorceress of Grayskull had declined.

"I have lived on my own for far too long to be surrounded by people every day," she had explained. Teelana had chosen to move just outside the palace walls, near the small town of Anas. The town held bittersweet memories for Teela. It was here that Skeletor had attacked Randor with the Talisman of Kaspanya, here that Adam had saved his father, here the prince had almost died. The memory still haunted her. Yet Teela had to admit that it had resulted in many good things, not the least of which was that she began to see beyond Adam's façade. For that, she would always be grateful.

Even so… "I do wish you had stayed in the palace," Teela said suddenly, her face wistful. Lana turned to her daughter, surprise lighting her eyes. "I was looking forward to spending time with you," the captain admitted.

"I know, Teela," Lana said in her familiar melodious voice. "I hope you understand why. Palace life seemed rather…intimidating, to me."

"You? Intimidated?" Teela's eyes widened as she looked at her mother.

Lana put down the scrub brush and stood, her casual brown pantsuit molding itself to her body easily. She arched her aching back as she replied. "Yes, Teela. All that pomp and protocol…I was a simple village girl before I became the Sorceress, and have always been an introvert of sorts. Palace life is simply not for me." She smiled gently at Teela.

"I know," Teela conceded reluctantly. "It's just that we lost so much time together because of your duties at Grayskull…" Her voice trailed off.

Lana chuckled. "We don't have to make up for it all at once, Teela. And I do hope you will come visit me…a lot."

Teela's eyes burned with unshed tears as she smiled brightly. "Of course I will."

* * *

Adam bit back a groan against the soreness in his muscles. He had pushed too hard in yet another training session with Teela the other day. Now that she knew his secret, he no longer had to goof off around her in training, and his competitive streak was rearing its ugly head. He was thankful that the ugly bruise on his right arm was almost gone—or at least not quite as tender as it had been. His body was still slow to heal compared to what he was used to. A bruise like that was usually gone in three days, and he was heading onto a week already.

He shifted uncomfortably in the chair and looked across the table at his sister. Adora was listening to the conversation intently, her brow furrowed. Adam knew he should be paying as close attention as she, but the meetings among the nobility rarely brought anything new to the forefront.

Baron Grod, once a great hunter, had turned a new leaf, and was now an avid animal rights activist. As such, he was constantly urging the king to outlaw what had been his greatest passion. Today he was arguing for the establishment of another wildlife refuge, claiming the current one was inadequate.

Lord Shire sat next to Baron Grod, patiently waiting to bring up the fact that there still was no source of reliable transportation in his territory. They relied on boats. The fact that his province was mostly swamp, and therefore rather well suited for boats, seemed to escape him.

Adam's eyes roamed around those gathered at the table. Had he been more conceited, he would have been grateful that none of them would ever inherit the throne, since none of them there were as intelligent or selfless as Randor, Adam, or even Adora. But the uncharitable thought, if it was ever formed, never made it out of the darkest recesses of his mind.

Adam's gaze came to rest on the two at the opposite end of the table. Now there were two that actually had brains. Baron Hutch, a broad-shouldered man in his early thirties who always looked as if he were about to smile, caught Adam's eye and winked good-naturedly. Adam returned it with a grin as Baron Grod pounded the table to emphasize his point. Next to Hutch was Duke Sully, his expression as dour as Hutch's was pleasant. The man was slightly older than Randor, and as cynical as a person could get. Adam caught Sully's eye and barely stopped himself from winking just to get a reaction. Instead, he inclined his head ever so slightly and held the duke's eye until he looked away.

"Baron Grod, I appreciate your passion," King Randor said. Adam hid a smirk at the barely concealed boredom in his father's voice. "However, the current wildlife refuge has proven more than adequate. Eternia is far from over-populated or over-farmed, and the cost of establishing another refuge is not something we can absorb right now. We have several other projects that must come first. As I told you before, we will put it into the queue of projects for future consideration." Randor left off that he had just told Grod that the night before, when the baron arrived early to promote his pet project.

When Grod started to object, the king raised his hand to silence him. "Baron Grod, we all understand the importance of saving endangered animals, but we don't have time to discuss it further right now. We have other matters to attend to. Baron Hutch, Duke Sully, I believe you had a joint request?"

The two exchanged glances; it was Duke Sully who stood, his black eyes and narrow face still holding a sour look. "King Randor," he said, his voice dripping with respect in a way that made Adora's eyes narrow, "for nearly a year now both of our provinces have struggled with fear of the one the villagers and farmers call Specter. He steals from our people, making the roads unsafe for travel. He demands a 'protection tax' from them, and destroys their homes and businesses if they do not pay. He and his band of followers have proven impossible to track. They strike at odd times and are gone before our men can get there." A sorrowful look crossed his face. "We have left guards at the villages, but they have disappeared."

"We had hoped that since Skeletor has been defeated, Captain Teela and her guards, or even He-Man himself, might be able to come help us," Hutch chimed in. He smiled hopefully.

"He-Man should have helped already," Sully added, his frown deepening. "We have told you of our plight before, Your Majesty. You should have sent us help long ago, before we lost men." A few of those present exchanged uneasy glances at the suddenly disrespectful tone in his voice.

"Yes, you did tell me," Randor acknowledged. "And while I do not wish to make excuses for myself, I do hope you understand that Skeletor's attack on my family that same day drove it from my mind." Sully flushed a deep red as several of the nobility cast reproachful glances his way. "Now, as you all know, He-Man fought with Skeletor and his forces for many years. Once they and the Horde were defeated, he decided to take a well-deserved vacation."

Adam barely kept his face neutral at his father's choice of words. He hadn't made that decision at all. Duncan had taken his sword and brought it to Grayskull. Man-at-Arms refused to give it back until he thought Adam was completely recovered from his ordeal. A few days ago, Adam had gone to Grayskull to get it, and the Sorceress—formerly known as Serena—had refused. She was far more stubborn than Teelana had ever been when it came to the health of her champions, much to Adam's annoyance.

"Adam, Adora, have either of you heard from He-Man?" Randor asked, bringing his son back into the present.

"No, Father," Adam replied, figuring he'd let his sister handle this one. Adora gave him a sweet smile before turning to Randor. Adam quirked an eyebrow. It seemed she knew something he didn't.

"He-Man is due back in about two weeks, sire," she replied. Adam's hand clenched under the table. Two more weeks without his sword? "But I'd like to go up and take a look around, and I'm sure that She-Ra would come as well."

Lord Sully's mouth tightened with displeasure. He wasn't big on women being warriors or politicians, and Adora knew that she and She-Ra were both icons of everything he didn't believe in. She glanced at Baron Hutch, and found him looking pleadingly up at Duke Sully.

"There you have it," Randor said, ignoring the two noblemen's reactions. "Adora will take care of it. Adam, you and Teela were planning to go to Bereathia in the next few days, weren't you?" At his son's nod, Randor suggested, "Why don't you and Teela go with Adora? You know that area far better than she does."

"Of course, Father," Adam agreed, keeping his face impassive. What Randor really meant was that Adora wouldn't get much cooperation out of Sully without a man along.

"Good. Duke Sully, Baron Hutch, you can expect them by tomorrow afternoon," Randor said briskly. "Work out the details with Captain Teela. Now, let's move on…"

* * *

Adam was an expert at hiding his feelings when he wanted to do so, but Adora knew her brother well, and the twitch in his jaw was giving him away. As the meeting broke up, Adora darted out of the room to Duncan's workshop. Adam watched her go with narrowed eyes, but was waylaid by Baron Hutch, who had been unable to make it to the engagement party the week before, and wanted to congratulate the prince.

"Adam knows," Adora warned as she burst in. Duncan and Teela looked up at her, then exchanged glances.

"Knows what?" Teela asked, perplexed.

"That your father's not planning to give his sword back yet," Adora answered impatiently. "He's not happy, Duncan."

Duncan sighed. "Well, he would have found out in the next day or two anyway," he said. "I've been putting him off since yesterday."

Adam strode in rapidly, his jaw still twitching and his very walk betraying his fury. Teela and Adora instinctively moved closer together, neither of them used to seeing him so angry with anyone other than Skeletor or Hordak. The atmosphere was suddenly charged with tension.

"Two more weeks, Duncan?" Adam challenged, his voice dangerously quiet.

"Ten days," Man-at-Arms asserted. "I already talked to the Sorceress about it, and she agrees. We'll re-evaluate things then."

Adam's eyes were as hard as rock as he glared at his mentor. "And might I know the reason, since this is my life you're making decisions about?"

"I think you know the reason," Duncan said with a look Teela didn't understand. Adora was watching Adam, and saw something flicker in his eyes. Adam caught her looking at him and took a breath to steady himself, frowning slightly.

"It's been nearly a week," he said to Duncan. Adora and Teela exchanged confused glances.

"That's not enough. Besides, I watched you move this morning," Duncan replied steadily, refusing to back down. "You're sore from sparring with Teela the other day."

"It was a hard round," Adam defended himself.

"Not that hard," Duncan retorted. He cut Adam off as the prince started to argue. "Look, lad, if that were the case, Teela should be stiff and sore as well, but she's not. You spent weeks recovering from--well, from everything, really. You're…your body's not in top condition yet." Teela's eyes narrowed. Had her father been about to say Adam wasn't fully recovered yet?

"It's well enough for Grayskull to use it as needed," Adam countered angrily. "You have no right to make this decision."

Teela and Adora glanced at each other again. They had known Adam wouldn't be happy about the situation, but neither of them had expected him to be this angry. Nor did they understand the undertones to the conversation.

"It's my responsibility to watch out for the welfare of the Prince of Eternia, and the Sorceress' responsibility to watch out for the welfare of Grayskull's champion," Duncan stated firmly.

"I'm fine," Adam snapped, unconsciously straightening his back even further.

Duncan stared at him. "Why is it so important that you get your sword back now, Adam? Skeletor, Evil-Lyn, Horde Prime, and Hordak have all been defeated. She-Ra can handle anything that comes up."

An uncharacteristically sharp retort rose to Adam's lips, and he barely bit it back. He returned Duncan's stare, not knowing how to answer. He had this restless feeling inside of him, as if something were brewing. But he was smart enough to know that the last month of rest and relative peace could just be irritating him. As much as he had longed for it, the sudden lack of stress in his life could be exactly what was putting him on edge. Or there could be something wrong. It wouldn't be the first time his instincts had warned him of some elusive danger.

"I don't know," he admitted reluctantly. Then, because he rarely kept secrets from Duncan, he added, "Something just doesn't feel right, Duncan."

"You're just not used to relaxing and letting others handle things, Adam," Man-at-Arms countered calmly, unknowingly echoing Adam's thoughts. "It's the aftereffects of everything you've been through. The four of you are more than capable of handling this issue in Bereathia, with or without He-Man and She-Ra."

Adam didn't answer. Instead, he nodded sharply to Duncan, glanced at Adora with a harsh look she didn't understand, turned on his heel, and strode back out of the room, his jaw still tight with agitation.

* * *

"Randor, I just wanted to say good-bye," Miro said as he caught his son in the hallway.

Randor seemed disappointed. "Again, Father? I had hoped you would stay longer this time."

"Well, you know me," Miro said breezily. "I can't stay in one place for too long."

_You never could, but you're much worse now, _Randor silently acknowledged. "Before you go, I wanted to speak with you." He motioned towards his study. Miro hesitated, then entered the room. It brought back memories. The large window let in a good amount of light; one rarely needed a lamp on during the day. The dark wood was still the same as it had been when he had been king. Randor had taken good care of things over the years, never wasting a single coin of the royal treasury.

"I can remember your mother bringing dinner in on a tray and refusing to leave until I'd eaten," Miro said abruptly. "I worked too many hours for too many days, and missed too much time with she and you." He glanced at Randor. "I hope you did not make the same mistake with Adam."

Randor swallowed hard, wishing he could tell his father everything about Adam. Instead, he merely said, "I'm afraid I did, but things are different now. Adam and I have a good relationship." Miro gave an approving nod, and Randor continued. "Which is why I had hoped he and I could settle this business of his wedding being so soon without any interference." He stopped there and gazed steadily at his father.

"I am sorry about that, Randor," Miro said immediately, looking slightly chagrined. "I'm afraid the uncertainties in my life have made me rather eager to seize upon opportunities, rather than put things off. And old age has made me a bit outspoken."

"Certainly understandable, but I was surprised at your vehemence," Randor said carefully, again avoiding a direct question.

Miro shrugged. "If I had known I would be robbed of years with my family, I might have made different choices in my life," he told Randor quietly. The king was struck by the desolation in his father's eyes. "I must be on my way. Take care, Randor." _It's time to continue my search._

Randor stroked his beard thoughtfully as Miro left, wondering once again why his father constantly wandered, especially when he had just said he regretted lost time with his family. Randor assumed Miro was specifically referencing the years he had been imprisoned by the Enchantress. Yet even before that, Randor recalled that there were long absences. Randor's mother told him that his father liked to know the people he ruled. After he and He-Man (_Adam_, Randor reminded himself with a smile) had rescued Miro from the Enchantress, the former king had declared he wanted to wander and re-discover Eternia. But surely more three years of doing that would suffice. Why was Miro still wandering? What could be more important than making up for lost time with his family?

The knowledge that his son had hidden a secret from him for seven years was a lesson that stood out strongly in Randor's mind. He was beginning to suspect Adam wasn't the only one with secrets in the family.

* * *

"I've never seen Adam so angry at a friend before," Adora admitted to Sea Hawk later that afternoon. She leaned back against her fiancé and watched the sparkling waterfall before her. She loved this spot. It reminded her of Mermista, and a feeling of peace seeped through her in spite of her concerns.

"He's been through a lot this year, Adora," Hawk reminded her. "He's bound to get a little short now and then."

Adora ran her fingers along his forearm and smiled as he tightened his grip around her. It was quickly replaced by concern, though, as she considered his words. "I don't know, Hawk. It still doesn't seem like Adam."

"Well, he's not used to feeling powerless," Hawk said, almost absently. "It's getting to him."

Adora turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

Hawk looked down in surprise, his hunter green eyes boring into her. "Adora, he's He-Man. And for the last six weeks he's had to depend on others to go to the rescue. Granted it's been quiet, but Adam's used to being the one being depended on. The few times you've gone off by yourself to take care of a disaster, he's paced around with his fists clenched. He can't stand not being able to help, even when She-Ra is involved."

Adora's brow furrowed. "I didn't know it had been so difficult for him. How did you know?"

Hawk shrugged. "I've been able to spend some time with him, and I've been around him when you have had to go stop a rock slide or something." He smirked. "Your brother has quite the mischievous streak. I really like him."

Adora giggled as he waggled his eyebrows a little. "I knew you would," she said. She tilted her head to the side as she took in the time. "We'd better go. I have to get ready to go up to Bereathia. Have you decided if you're coming along?"

Hawk nodded immediately, his eyes hardening. "I don't trust that guy."

"Neither do I," Adora said with a shudder. "He gives me the creeps."

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Funny, I thought you liked Hutch."

"Hutch?" Adora exclaimed. "You don't trust him? I thought you were talking about Sully! He's the one in charge of Bereathia."

The former pirate shook his head. "I still can't keep that straight. Anyway, Sully may be a creep, but at least he tells it like it is. Hutch is…" He paused, searching for the word.

"More diplomatic," Adora supplied.

"Slicker," Hawk corrected. "He knows the way to catch the fish is with the best lure."

* * *

Adora reflected on Hawk's words as she packed. She had to admit that he was usually an excellent judge of character. The only time she'd known him to be wrong was when he had been suspicious of He-Man, but even then his distrust had been based on the feeling that He-Man wasn't being entirely honest—which of course he wasn't.

Adora glanced around her room one last time and paused. The room had become precious to her in the last month. She had always felt welcome here, but now it was her room, reflective of her. The huge bed was covered with the soft green and pink flower patterned quilt. There was a radiant painting of the pegacorns back on Etheria, and another of her friends from the Great Rebellion. Adam had commissioned them to be done for her. She smiled at his thoughtfulness, and marveled at the cherished feeling it brought her.

A big cozy green chair sat in the corner next to the bookshelf crammed full of Eternian history and happy-ending stories she had never been allowed to read as a child growing up in the Fright Zone. Adora walked over and ran a finger over them lightly. Adam had told her that a few of them were Earth stories, written down by Queen Marlena as best as she could remember them.

Adora hefted her bag onto her shoulder. She still felt as if this were all surreal, about to be pulled away from her at any moment, and that kept her a little on edge in the palace—especially when the gossips started in. But it was slowly becoming home.


	3. Chapter 3: Heading Out

"Teela!" her mother exclaimed, delight coloring her voice as she opened her door. "What a wonderful surprise!" Teela returned her mother's hug and stepped inside the small house.

"What brings you here?" Lana asked, smiling broadly as they took seats at a small wooden table. Teela marveled at all her mother had accomplished in the last few days. After years of living in Grayskull's dark, gray rooms, Lana had gone a little overboard in color. The cottage was humble but warm, full of large off-white area rugs, overstuffed blue-green furniture, and an almost-constant crackling fire. Bright red and yellow throw pillows were scattered about, and somehow, Lana had tied it all together with rainbow-colored curtains.

"Wow, this is bright," Teela said tactfully before answering her mother's question.

Lana laughed. "Go ahead, Teela, say it. It's terribly bright, and not necessarily in a good way."

Teela smiled. "Well, it is…um, bright," she finished lamely. "I would have pictured you more the warm peach and soft blue type."

Lana laughed again. "I am! But that's too close to that blue-and-orange frock I wore for untold years." She grinned widely. "I'll admit this smattering of color isn't really my taste, but I just wanted to surround myself with bright, cheerful things for a while. When I tire of them, I'll give them to someone who can use them."

Teela bit her lip, then hesitantly asked, "Mother, are you all right for money? I don't mean to pry, but-"

Lana's eyes grew soft at her daughter's obvious concern for her. "I'm fine, Teela. My needs have been provided for, and then some." She didn't elaborate on how, and Teela didn't feel it was her place to push further. Instead, she addressed the reason she had come.

"I know we were supposed to go shopping tomorrow," Teela began guiltily, "but the king asked me to accompany Adam and Adora to Bereathia. We're leaving in the morning."

Lana's green eyes grew concerned. "Is everything all right?"

Teela nodded. "Just some guy calling himself the Specter frightening people," she explained succinctly. Lana tilted her head, studying her daughter for a moment.

"But something is bothering you," Lana pressed. "What is it, Teela?" She still retained her abilities to sense other people's feelings, though she could no longer communicate via telepathy except with the new Sorceress and Teela. She didn't need telepathy to see the shadows in Teela's eyes or see the lines of worry around her mouth.

Teela shook her head. "I was looking forward to spending some time with you, that's all."

Lana raised an eyebrow. "There is more, daughter. Tell me what's wrong."

Before she answered, Teela took a few seconds to be selfish and revel in the sense of her mother worrying about her. It was still novel to her. "Father doesn't want to give Adam his sword back yet, and Adam's very upset about it," she finally said. "In fact, he was angry."

Lana frowned. "As he should be." Teela's eyes widened. "Teela, that sword is meant for Adam, and as much as his loved ones would like to help him bear its burden, it is his responsibility, not theirs. Duncan and Serena are wrong to keep the sword from them."

Teela shook her head. "You tell them that. I'm staying out of it for once."

"I think that is a good choice," the former sorceress replied, standing.

Teela stood with her. "You're really going to talk to Father and Serena?"

Lana looked her daughter in the eye. "Yes, I am." Teela grinned, experiencing a strong feeling of kinship with her mother.

"So that's where I get it from," she joked lightly.

Lana merely smiled and led the way out of the small house.

* * *

Adam tossed his bag into the wind raider, frustration still coursing through him. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath, struggling to calm himself down. _You're acting like a spoiled child whose favorite toy was taken away,_ he said to himself. It didn't help. The stress coiled in his stomach wouldn't go away. He could tell from the heat and tension in his neck that his blood pressure was up as well. Adam shook his head, not understanding what was wrong.

"A-Adam? What about me?" Cringer asked, sounding sad.

Pulled out of his thoughts, Adam turned to his pet and bent down. "I'm sorry, Cringe, but there's not enough room in the wind raider for you. You'll have to stay here this time."

Cringer looked uncharacteristically disappointed at staying behind. Adam realized guiltily that he and Teela had been spending a lot of time together, and the Eternian tiger had respectfully kept his distance. He was probably lonely. Adam scratched the cat behind his ear. "When I get back, we'll go fishing, okay?"

Cringer's eyes were pools of concern, but he didn't voice the fears he felt. "O-okay, Adam."

The prince studied his friend carefully. The cat's worried look was more pronounced than usual. "What's bothering you, Cringe?"

Cringer looked away. "It's nothing. Just a feeling that something's not right."

Adam froze. When he didn't reply right away, Cringer looked back at him and growled lightly at the stricken look on his friend's face. "A-Adam? Are you okay?"

Adam didn't want to worry Cringer any more than he was already, but he didn't want to lie either. "Sure, buddy. I've just been feeling the same way today, and I was surprised when you said that."

Cringer stepped closer to Adam and rubbed his head against the prince's chest. "What do you think it is?"

"It might just be me, Cringer," Adam muttered softly, placing a hand on Cringer's head and looking up as Adora and Hawk entered the room. It was true. The tiger picked up on Adam's uneasiness all too easily, and it could be affecting him. "I wish I knew for sure, but I don't."

* * *

"Duncan, I want you to come to Grayskull with me," Lana said without preamble when she arrived at his workshop.

Duncan turned and his heart skipped a beat at the vision before him. Teelana had always been beautiful to him, but never more so than now. She stood in a royal blue, loose-fitting pantsuit with a golden rope-like belt tied around her waist. Her hair, the same red-orange as Teela's, was piled on top of her head, only a few loose tendrils caressing her neck. Her eyes were sparkling with suppressed annoyance, which surprised him. He hadn't heard it in her voice, but then, she had always kept that carefully under control.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, immediately worried.

"No," Lana replied, her voice firm but not angry. "But I would rather discuss it with both you and Serena at once, instead of repeating myself."

"Very well," Duncan agreed slowly. He sent a messenger to the king, and led Lana to the wind raider. He found himself casting glances at her, his mind rotating between what could be bothering her, wondering how she was settling into her new home, and thinking how beautiful she looked.

"Are you going to give me a hint as to what this could be about?" he finally asked.

Lana leveled her gaze at him. He didn't need to look over to see it; he could sense it. "I think you know."

With a flash of insight, he did know. "This is about Adam?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes, it is," she replied. Then she refused to say any more.

Her green eyes were pools of serenity as she lowered the jawbridge for them. The Sorceress smoothed her hands over her feathery white frock unconsciously, ensuring her appearance was as it should be. Then she waited quietly. She could hear their footsteps long before she could see them. Finally they entered the throne room. Serena greeted them calmly, though she could sense that Teelana was seething just below the surface.

"What brings you here today?" she inquired.

"I would like to know why the two of you have decided to keep Adam's sword from him," Lana said, her tone as mild as she could make it. She no longer had any authority here, and they all knew it. She also knew they would tolerate her interference out of respect…at least to a point.

"He's not ready to be fighting yet," Duncan immediately answered. "He had a hard round with Teela a few days ago, and he was wincing at every move he made this morning. You know that's not like him."

"I would think that after all he's been through, that would only be a minor inconvenience," Teelana responded, her face as implacable as it had been when she was the sorceress.

"I'm worried he might injure himself further," Duncan argued. "She-Ra is around to handle things. There's no need for him to be putting himself at risk until he's completely healed."

Lana turned her attention to Serena. "And what is your excuse?" she challenged.

"My reasons are my own," the Sorceress replied smoothly.

Teelana's eyes narrowed at that; that type of answer was all too familiar. "Yet you know, as I do, that there is still a great danger out there," she said quietly.

"What?" Duncan asked, alarmed.

"If there were not," Teelana explained, her gaze never leaving Serena's, "the swords would have returned to Grayskull, and the castle would have vanished once again."

Duncan whirled on the Sorceress, fury lighting his face. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

Serena didn't move. "Would it have changed your opinion, Man-at-Arms?"

"Yes, blast it!" he nearly shouted. "I wouldn't have agreed to let Adam go out there at all, never mind without his sword!"

"Perhaps he shouldn't be going at all," Serena suggested quietly. Duncan stopped, his hands dropping to his sides.

"What's going on?" Lana asked. There was a long silence as the other two exchanged glances.

"We can't tell you without breaking Adam's confidence," Duncan said heavily. His dark eyes asked her to understand.

Lana studied the two of them for a long minute. Finally she gave a small shake of her head and turned to Man-at-Arms, who was shifting uncomfortably. "The two of you are certainly entitled to your secrets. But I hope you are making this decision for the right reasons."

* * *

Hawk tugged at his collar as he prepared to go to dinner. He wasn't sure if the suffocating sensation was from the material around his throat or the fact that he couldn't seem to get used to this life on Eternia.

"Look at you," he muttered to himself in the mirror. "Gone from a captain of your own ship, doing what you want when you want, to worrying about what to wear for dinner." He shook his head, tugging at the white collar again. The king's offer of a ship in the Royal Navy was generous, but Hawk wasn't sure about it. Sailing should be about the wind and the sea, not rules and regulations. And definitely not uniforms.

Hawk stared at his reflection, then reached a decision. He was giving up a lot for Adora, but he couldn't give up who he was. He unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and put his black headband back on, along with his black boots. He grinned as he left his room. He might be a good man at heart, but part of him would always be a pirate.

Adam talked with his parents and Sea Hawk at dinner that evening, but pointedly ignored Duncan and Adora. He seemed unsure of Teela's role in the entire matter, and spoke to her as little as possible. Randor's gaze shifted from Adam to the others and back again, the pieces clicking into place.

"I take it that you weren't aware He-Man would be on vacation for two more weeks," the king said slowly, watching his wording as the servants drifted in and out with dishes.

"No, I wasn't," Adam admitted with a glare thrown in Duncan's direction. Man-at-Arms had the grace to look chastised. "He-Man is fine, and more than ready to return."

"Don't you think it's better to be safe than sorry? After all, we don't want him to get injured by jumping back into things too quickly," the king responded, his tone understanding.

"He wouldn't," Adam said firmly, his gaze meeting his father's steadily.

"Well, then, Duncan, what reason could there be for enforcing additional time away?" Randor asked, his eyebrows raised. He had never seen Adam at odds with Man-at-Arms before, and he wasn't sure if he should be interfering. He glanced at Marlena, who gave a slight nod of encouragement.

Duncan cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I had the opportunity to observe He-Man this morning, Your Majesty. His movements are still rather stiff. I just want to make sure he's completely healed." Randor nodded, thinking it made sense.

"And the Sorceress has agreed?" Marlena asked intuitively.

"Yes," Duncan responded.

* * *

Teela couldn't remain silent any longer. "What about my mother?" she challenged. Adam glanced over at her in surprise. She slipped her hand into his under the table.

Duncan threw his daughter a look meant to shush her, but the question was out there, and had to be answered. "Teelana thinks it is a mistake," he admitted. "She said the power is He-Man's responsibility to bear, not ours, and that there may be another danger lurking."

_Shadow Weaver, _Adora thought immediately. They had never learned what had happened to the witch.

"Adam, perhaps you shouldn't go to Bereathia," Randor suggested, frowning. He reached up to rub his chin as he thought.

"I agree," Duncan said immediately.

"Father, I can handle myself just fine, and Adora, Teela, and Sea Hawk will be there," Adam protested, with a withering look in Duncan's direction. "She-Ra will be available. What more could you ask for?"

"He-Man," Randor responded immediately. "I'm rather used to him being around when we need him." Duncan frowned guiltily.

"He won't be around forever," Adam reminded his father. "I can't stay here just because He-Man's not available."

"Adam's right," Teela chimed in. "He has to be able to handle himself with or without He-Man's help." Duncan's look darkened even more.

Randor nodded. "You're right of course. I would just feel better—well, never mind. Let's enjoy our dessert, shall we?"

Duncan followed Adam out of the dining room. "You're placing me in a very awkward position, Adam," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. It wasn't easy. He hadn't been this frustrated with Adam since the prince had tried to save his father without becoming He-Man, resulting in a dangerous situation for them all.

A mix of guilt and annoyance colored Adam's response. "Duncan, I don't think I can talk to you about this right now."

Duncan's face flushed. "You've always talked to me about everything," he protested.

"And look where that's gotten me," Adam retorted. "Tell me, Duncan, if He-Man were really needed, would you and Serena give the sword back to me?"

"Of course we would," Man-at-Arms answered immediately. "But it's not that simple, Adam."

"It is to me," Adam said, his voice still low. The anger was gone from his eyes now, replaced by sadness. "You trusted me with Grayskull's power for more than seven years, and now you don't."

"That's not it at all, Adam," Duncan argued, wondering how everything had gotten so turned around, how he had wound up on the defensive.

"It is," Adam asserted, his blue eyes reflecting the depth of how much this hurt him. "You don't trust me to make the right decision in using the power." Duncan started to say something, but Adam interrupted him. "Don't bother, Duncan. We'll talk when I get back from Bereathia." He spun around and walked off, his movements reflecting his inner turmoil.

* * *

"Are you all right?" Teela asked Adam as she caught up to him later. She placed a hand on his arm and rubbed it slightly. He gave her a lopsided smile and nodded.

"I think so. I just wish I knew if this unsettled feeling I have is from being without my sword for more than a month, or if there's something dangerous brewing," he answered. His blue eyes sparkled as he added, "Or maybe I'm just nervous about this impending wedding."

"Getting cold feet already?" Teela teased back, allowing him to change the subject.

Adam nodded, a falsely somber look on his face. "These arranged royal marriages are terrifying, you know. I've heard my future wife is really intimidating."

"Oh really," Teela commented dryly, raising an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound good. What else have you heard?"

"That she's got a real temper, and she's such a good warrior she could beat He-Man in a fight," Adam answered, a smile growing on his face. "I've also heard she has a good heart, that she's beautiful beyond words, and that she's already in love with me." He stepped closer to her and bent his head, his lips only inches from hers. His smile faded as he brushed one cheek with the back of his hand.

"I see," Teela murmured, her eyes drifting closed as she turned her face into his hand. "And how do you feel about her?"

"I think I kinda like her," Adam whispered back. Teela smiled just before Adam's lips claimed hers.

* * *

Adam felt more like himself in the morning. The pressing feeling that something was wrong had disappeared. It bothered him, because it meant Duncan was more in the right than he wanted to admit. Adora cast furtive glances at Adam as they said their good-byes and climbed into the wind raider.

Duncan pulled Hawk to the side with a quick look in Adam's direction. "Keep a careful eye on him, Hawk. He's not recovering as well as he'd like everyone to think." Hawk's eyes widened in surprise, but all he said was, "Yes, sir."

Adam let things stew for a while after they had taken to the air, but he eventually turned to talk to his sister.

"You can relax, Adora, I'm not angry anymore," he said with a smirk. Adora raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why would you being angry affect me?" she asked innocently.

Adam snorted. "I'm sure you agreed with Duncan that the sword should be kept at Grayskull for now."

"I did at first," Adora admitted. "But now that we're going to be so far away, I wish you had it. If something does come up, a few hours of flying between you and your sword won't be a good thing."

Though he agreed, Adam let the comment pass. There was nothing he could do about it now. A few minutes later, Adam stretched his arm out so he could drag his fingers lightly along Teela's neck. She gave him a half-glare, half-smile full of pleasure, frustration and desire. He grinned at her.

"By the way, sis, there's a garden in Bereathia that Teela and I were going to visit," Adam commented lazily. "You and Hawk are more than welcome to come along, so you can start getting ideas for your wedding." He paused, then questioned, "Speaking of which, when are you getting married? Are we doing a double?"

Adora shook her head immediately. "No, Adam, Hawk and I have way too many decisions and adjustments to make to get ready for a wedding in four months."

"Like what?" Teela asked, keeping her attention focused on her flying. She could feel Hawk's gaze on her; he still readily admitted he'd rather be in the Solar Sailor than a wind raider.

"I still haven't decided whether to accept the commission in the Navy that King Randor offered me," Hawk confessed from the back seat. "While it's very generous, I'm not sure I would be successful in trading my pirate's garb for a naval uniform."

Adam let out a bark of laughter. "Hawk, if I can trade a prince's tunic for a pair of tight furry shorts, you shouldn't have any problem with that."

Hawk chuckled at Adam's description of He-Man's clothing. "They didn't give you much to wear as He-Man, did they?"

Adam shook his head. "One of the few insignificant complaints I have."

"Few?" Adora cocked an eyebrow at him again.

"Most of my complaints are significant," Adam said with a lopsided grin.

Their light-hearted banter was interrupted by a sudden silence and utter lack of vibration. "Teela, what's wrong?" Adam asked immediately, realizing the engines had cut out.

Teela flipped a few switches rapidly as she answered. "I don't know. We just lost all power." Her attempts to re-start the engines failed. "We're going to crash!"

* * *

The birds chirped cheerfully to each other, and the Forgotten Forest seemed to hum with a sense of well-being, but Miro barely registered any of it. He had been fortunate enough to catch a ride with a guard who was on his way to an assignment on the southern border, but he'd been walking now since early morning, and his motions and thoughts had become almost automatic. Miro settled onto a rock to rest, took a swig of water from his canister, and absently munched on a piece of bread.

His search had so far turned up nothing new. He hated to admit it, but that was almost what he'd come to expect. After more than fifty years, he was finally losing hope. He hadn't searched every square inch of Eternia yet, though, and he wouldn't rest until he had.

Miro scratched at his white beard as a sudden movement caught his eye. A falcon with black-tipped white feathers was sitting on a nearby branch. She was watching him intently. Miro gave a slight half-smile, thankful for even the silent company.

"I bet you're wondering what an old fool like me is doing out here," he said to her. The falcon screeched as if she understood. "I guess you could say I'm chasing elves." It was a popular Eternian saying--at least in his time as king it had been--but the truth behind the words caused him to stop speaking. For a long time he sat there, watching the leaves dance in the wind. The falcon never moved.

"I'm not sure I'll ever find him," he finally said to her, so quietly she had to tilt her head to hear him. "After so many years, it just seems impossible."

The falcon screeched encouragement and lifted off into the air. Miro watched her go, surprised at the sense of loneliness washing through him. Perhaps it was time to end this fruitless chase and return to the palace to live out his days. He knew Randor, Adam, and Adora would prefer that to all of this wandering. They loved him, as he loved them.

_But I love my firstborn, too,_ he thought. _I can't give up yet. _With that decision firmly in mind, he started off in the direction the falcon had flown.


	4. Chapter 4: Bereathia

Adam's hands clenched. How many times had he been in this situation? And in almost every one of them, he had gone for his sword, as Adora was doing now.

"For the honor of Grayskull!" she called. Irritation consumed Adam as he worked with Teela to try to re-start the wind raider. Adora shouldn't have to handle this on her own. There was no reason for it, except for Duncan and Serena's foolish concern. Adam felt a twinge of guilt. It was concern for his well-being that had been behind their actions, right or wrong. He couldn't fault them for caring.

"Let me have it," Adam said to Teela, and she wordlessly flipped the control over to him. The controls on right side of the wind raider were designed to help it land manually when needed. Adam forced the aircraft to level out some and slowed their descent. Unfortunately, there was a mountain range in their way, and trying to bank a turn with the room they was going to be very difficult.

"I think you'd better get ready to play catch," he grunted to his sister, even as he strained to turn the vehicle.

"Right," She-Ra answered. She crept out to the front of the wind raider and steadied herself there. Adam managed to swing the aircraft around enough to avoid the mountain, and spotted a small clearing. Even as he aimed for it, he knew there wouldn't be enough room to land. They were coming in too fast. Tree branches began to scrape the bottom of the vehicle.

Just before they touched down, She-Ra jumped off and raced ahead. She stopped just before a small hill, knowing it was too steep for the wind raider to coast up. They would crash into it if she didn't do something. Adam saw her and held the controls steady as the wind raider skimmed over the ground, the friction between the metal and the rocky field screeching in his ears. His heart in his throat, Adam aimed for his sister. She-Ra caught them easily, using her bent legs to absorb the shock enough to ease the aircraft to a stop. For a minute no one said a word.

"Is everyone all right?" She-Ra inquired, breaking the silence.

Instead of answering her, Teela spoke what was on all their minds. "What on Eternia just happened?"

"I think we'd better go find out," Adam replied shakily, already hopping out of the wind raider and lifting the hood. Teela joined him immediately as She-Ra and Hawk exchanged glances. They were useless in figuring this out, not having learned the mechanics of the Eternian vehicles yet.

"Here," Adam pointed out to Teela, frowning deeply. "The main cable to the power source came loose."

"But how?" Teela asked, perplexed. "I saw you check the engine this morning."

"I must have missed it," Adam said, mentally berating himself for being so sloppy. _Maybe Duncan was right to keep my sword away. How can I protect Eternia if I can't even check an engine properly?_

Teela caught his look of self-disgust. "You don't know that for sure. It could be faulty. Besides, even if you did miss it, everyone makes mistakes, Adam. Even He-Man." She grinned cheekily at him, but her smile faded as he shook his head slightly and turned away to close the hood.

"Let's get going. We're going to be late," he said, his voice rough.

"Adam." Adora's hand dropped onto his shoulder. She had transformed while he and Teela had examined the wind raider. She waited until he met her gaze. "Teela's right."

Adam schooled his face into a look of acceptance he wasn't feeling. "I know. But we are going to be late if we don't hurry."

Hawk pursed his lips as he got back into the wind raider. Adam was one of only a few people he knew who held himself to such a high standard. Adam's skill in flying the wind raider had just helped to save them all, yet he was upset that he might have missed a loose wire in the first place. Hawk shook his head. _First Ones forbid I should ever have to take the throne. The people of Eternia deserve far better. They deserve Adam._

* * *

"That's Bereathia?" Adora asked as they flew towards a smattering of buildings. A modest castle stood on a small hill near the center. The land was mostly clear of trees around the town and to the south. Just to the north she could make out a small forest.

"The main town," Adam answered. "The province itself encompasses all of these foothills, up to the base of the Mystic Mountains, and most of the farmlands you see to the south."

Teela slowed the wind raider as they approached. The homes they passed varied in size and structure, but most were made of a light gray stone with thatched rooftops. There was a marketplace that bustled with colorful activity; fruits, vegetables, meats, cloth, and golden trinkets were easily visible even from the wind raider. The people seemed rather cheerful, calling out and waving at the wind raider, no doubt having been told that the prince and princess would be aboard.

Teela circled the castle a few times as she prepared to land. The same type of light gray rocks used on the homes in town had been used to construct this castle. It was solidly built, looking as if it could withstand an assault from the Horde itself. The stones had been polished smooth, so rather than the forbidding look of Castle Grayskull, the Bereathian castle had a welcoming, cared-for feel. The weather here was colder than in Eternos, making it necessary to have large clear windows gracing the openings in the walls. Roses of every color adorned an intricate walkway near the landing area where Teela finally put down.

Duke Sully and a strapping young man were waiting for them at the landing pad, and gave stiff bows as the royal party got out of the wind raider.

"Welcome to Bereathia, Your Highnesses," Sully said to Adam and Adora, his voice holding a sour note. Adora and Hawk came up on Adam's left, Adora tilting her head slightly to indicate Adam should take the lead. Teela took her place at his right.

"Thank you, Duke Sully," Adam said. The two men stood straight up. Adam met Duke Sully's eye, taking in the perfectly groomed blond hair, glittering black eyes, and the permanent frown that seemed etched on his drawn face. Sully turned and motioned the younger man forward.

"May I introduce my son, Beauregard," he said. "Beau, this is Prince Adam…Princess Adora… Captain Sea Hawk…and Captain Teela." The disdain for the women came through slightly in Sully's voice, though his expression remained unchanged.

Beau showed none of his father's sour attitude, however. He was slightly taller than his father, about Adam's height, with closely cropped blond hair and smoky gray eyes. Beau politely greeted each member of the royal party with a nod until he got to Teela. Then his gray eyes lit up in amazement as he tilted his head to the side, his voice going up a few notes.

"Teela?"

Teela's eyes widened. "Beau! I didn't realize Duke Sully was your father!"

Beau smiled broadly. "And I never realized that Captain Teela was my Teela!"

Adam's stomach clenched at Beau's choice of words, and he had to force himself not to react as Beau took Teela's hand and kissed it reverently, causing Teela to blush.

Beau's smile faded as he glanced from Teela to Adam and back again. "And you're the Teela who is engaged to marry the prince," he added softly, slowly letting go of her hand. His face turned red.

"That's right," Teela answered gently, laying a hand on Adam's forearm. He smiled slightly at her, but said nothing, not wanting to add to Beau's obvious embarrassment.

"How do you two know each other?" Sully asked suspiciously.

"We met at the university," Beau replied, staring at Teela again. Adam placed one hand possessively at the small of Teela's back. "It was my senior year, and Teela and I both happened to show up to the big dance dateless. We started talking, and wound up spending the whole night together." It was only with a supreme effort that Adam kept himself from stiffening at Beau's choice of words. Beau let out a heartfelt sigh. "But the timing wasn't right, for a variety of reasons, and we couldn't seem to get together again."

Sully snorted lightly. "I knew sending you to that university was a bad idea. Intermingling with all those women who think they understand the issues in the world today. Hmph."

Beau's face flushed again, and Adam felt a sudden kinship with the man. He knew better than anyone the sting of a father's disapproval.

Adora took one glance at Teela's face and knew she had better step in before the good captain spoke up. "Well, Duke Sully, if you don't want our help, we can return to the palace and inform my father that you have changed your mind," she said, her voice and face innocent of any implication that this would be a stupid thing to do.

"No, no, no, don't be foolish," Sully snapped. "Beau will show you to your rooms. I'm afraid I wasn't expecting four of you; I only have three rooms ready." He glared at Sea Hawk, somehow conveying with his eyes that this was a most horrible breach of protocol and a huge imposition.

"Actually, as long as there is an extra cot or couch in the rooms, we only need two," Teela interjected firmly. Duke Sully's eyes widened in alarm and his face paled as she rushed to explain. "I am here as Princess Adora's bodyguard, and Sea Hawk came as Prince Adam's. We will need to be in the same rooms as they are to ensure their safety."

Duke Sully went from appalled to offended in a breath. "Are you implying that we are incapable of keeping them safe?" he demanded.

"You came to us for help against the Specter, and admitted you have lost men to him," Adam reminded the older man. "We have no idea who might be friend or enemy here. For all I know, Duke Sully, you yourself might be the Specter."

Sully sputtered for a few seconds, so outraged that his face began to turn red and his eyes watered. "How dare you suggest such a thing," he hissed.

"I am merely making a point," Adam countered mildly. "We will be working together on this, and no one will be going anywhere alone. I assume we have your cooperation."

Sully's face went into an interesting shade of purple as Adam waited calmly for a response, his back straight, his hands at his side, and his face firm. Teela felt a rush of pride in him. This attitude was part of his "He-Man" side that he had always tried to hide. There was something about seeing it come out in him as Adam that took her breath away.

Adam's unrelenting gaze forced Sully to bring himself under control.

"Of course, Your Highness," the duke murmured.

"Good," Adam said with a sharp nod. Beau looked at Adam in something akin to awe, and led the group to their rooms.

* * *

"Dour sort of fellow, isn't he?" Hawk muttered as he prowled about the room, examining the layout. Adam watched him with barely concealed amusement. The light gray stone was in plentiful supply here, polished until it shone. Adam noted with interest that even the corners of the rocks were rounded. The contrasting dark wood furniture with its boxy appearance seemed almost out of place.

"Sully? He's been like that as long as I've known him," Adam replied. He watched as Sea Hawk leaned out the only window and looked all around. "Hawk, what are you doing?"

"Just getting a feel for the area, Adam," the pirate responded. He turned around and caught the prince staring thoughtfully at him. "What?" He didn't wait for Adam's answer, but lifted the ocean-blue quilt, finding that the frame was solid underneath. He shoved aside the matching shaggy area rug, looking for a trap door of any kind. Adam smirked slightly; Hawk was taking his bodyguard duties just as seriously as Teela. He wondered briefly how Hawk and Teela would react once they were royalty by marriage and needed bodyguards themselves. He shook off the wayward thought and moved closer to Hawk so they could talk with less risk of being overheard.

"What exactly are your impressions of Sully and Beau?" Adam asked quietly. He said no more, not wanting to taint Hawk's opinion with his own.

"Sully is a bitter man who thinks life owes him more than he's received," Hawk replied immediately. Adam nodded slowly; that certainly aligned with what he knew of the man. "He's even more critical of his son than Randor was of you. He seems to think women should be considered second-rate citizens. I wouldn't trust him."

A small smile played about Adam's mouth, but he merely asked, "And Beau?"

Hawk stared hard at Adam. "If you weren't here, he'd be after Teela. I think you shocked him by getting his father to shut up and agree with you. And if I had to bet money, I would say he was hiding something."

Adam's eyebrow rose. "Really?" His gaze grew thoughtful, distant, but his eyes didn't leave Hawk. The former pirate crossed his arms uneasily.

"Why are you staring at me?" he demanded.

Adam hesitated for a few seconds, then shook his head. "It's nothing to worry about. Just something I wanted to talk to you about, but we can do that later. We're due at dinner in a few moments."

Hawk grimaced and changed into plain black pants and a white shirt. Adam smirked as they left, thinking that the man still looked like a reformed pirate. Of course, the high black boots and the still-present band around his head contributed greatly to that look.

Adam and Sea Hawk went next door to accompany the women to dinner. In spite of their mission here, Randor had insisted they dress appropriately when they went to dinner with Baron Sully. As a result, Teela had on a long hunter-green dress that looked as if it would encumber her if she had to fight, but Adam knew there was a concealed seam halfway up; she could tear it off if she needed to do so. Her wristbands remained the same as always; like him, she still had her freeze rays available. Adam dropped a kiss on her mouth and offered her his arm. "You look gorgeous," he said seriously, bringing a demure smile to her face.

Adora came out in a similar dress of deep blue. Her hair was piled up on top of her head for a change. Hawk kissed her politely, then drew away slowly, his breath tickling her bare neck. Adora's eyes flew to his, and she could see he wanted to give her a real kiss, regardless of who was around. She smiled at him and put her hand in the crook of his arm. "Shall we go?" she asked brightly. Hawk glowered at her for a split second, then turned around with a smile.

"To the lion's den it is," he said under his breath.

* * *

"Everything was delicious, Duke Sully," Adora complimented him.

"It should be, for the wages I pay the cooking staff," the duke said peevishly. Every comment during dinner had been met with a similar remark. Sully seemed incapable of being gracious, in spite of the gorgeous room in which they sat. Intricate tapestries adorned the walls, depicting several of Eternia's most important historical moments and legends. Adam had reddened slightly when he saw that one of them was of He-Man standing in front of Castle Grayskull, but fortunately only Teela had noticed.

The group had tried to start discussions about the gorgeous tapestries or the magnificent masonry work they had seen in the castle, but Sully had a complaint to offer every compliment. Beau seemed to become more and more embarrassed as the evening progressed.

"Tell us about the Specter," Adam finally said, deciding that polite chatter was a waste of time.

"I already told you all I know," Sully snapped. "There's nothing more to tell than what I said at the council meeting." Adora bit her cheek to keep from snapping back. She wasn't used to such rudeness, but she was determined to follow Adam's lead. She didn't want to cause her father any trouble by offending the duke.

"I'm afraid that since Hawk and I weren't there, we don't know what was said," Teela broke in smoothly. "Adam told me some of it, but I'd like to hear the facts directly from you."

"He showed up about nine months ago," Sully said reluctantly, frowning. "He got a group of rather rough men together and began demanding protection taxes from the people. If they didn't pay, the group simply stole what they wanted."

"Have they hurt anyone?" Adam asked tensely.

"Not yet," Sully said, his tone conveying that it was only a matter of time. Adam relaxed slightly. "But we don't know what happened to our missing men."

"They would be the soldiers you left to protect the villagers and farmers?" Hawk asked.

Sully nodded.

"Do you have a description of this Specter?" Adora asked.

Sully frowned at her. "No. He wears a gray cloak and keeps his face hidden." His tone implied Adora must lack some common sense. Adam's eyes narrowed.

"Do you know how many men are in his group?" Adora asked, doing her best to ignore Sully's poor attitude.

"No," Sully said, his ever-present frown somehow deepening. "We've had reports from five to fifteen."

"Did he give himself the name of Specter, or did the people?" Teela inquired.

"What difference does that make?" Sully snapped, obviously irritated.

"Duke Sully," Adam interrupted, his face hard. He waited until the man faced him. Sully swallowed hard when he saw the anger in the crown prince's eyes. "I would have a word with you privately." The two men stood and Sully led the way into an adjoining room. There was no door to separate it, and in the dead silence that followed the men, those remaining at the table could hear parts of the short and rather one-sided conversation.

"What is it, Prince Adam?" Sully asked, his voice heavy with respect and apology. Adam was only a few inches taller than Sully, but at the moment the heavily muscled prince was giving off an aura of absolute authority that Sully had never seen from him. The older man took an involuntary quarter-step back, folding his hands in front of him nervously.

"Duke Sully, your opinion of women is rather well-known throughout the kingdom," Adam said, staring hard at the duke. "And you are certainly entitled to your opinion, however misguided it might be. But the way you are treating the Princess of Eternia and the future queen is unacceptable. From now on, when you address any woman, you had better do so with the proper respect, especially in my presence. If I ever hear you address a woman in any other fashion, you will answer to me. Is that understood?"

Adam's voice had dropped an octave as he asserted his position, and Sully couldn't control the shiver that raced through him. He felt as if the king himself were reprimanding him. "Yes, Your Highness," he said meekly. He bowed his head and led the way back to the others.

Once back at the table, Sully cast a somewhat nervous glance at Adam before clearing his throat. "To answer your question," he said to Teela, his tone carefully bland, "the people gave him that name. He comes and goes like a ghost. No one knows who he is, where he comes from, or what he is capable of." His face grew slightly defiant as he looked at Adam again. "As I told you, we know very little."

* * *

"I sure am glad that Father asked you to come with me," Adora murmured softly to Adam as they went back to their rooms later that evening. "I knew Sully would resent me, but I had no idea how much. What is his problem?"

Adam glanced down the hallway and beckoned to Hawk to follow him into Adora and Teela's room. Once there he made sure the window was shut and drew the others closer to him.

"What I say is not to be repeated," the prince said quietly. He hated to bring it up, but they needed to understand why Sully was such a miserable person. Adam's somber tone caused them all to nod quickly. "Sully's mother abandoned him and his father when he was very young, about eight years old. His father claimed it was because she was stupid, like all women, that she didn't know how good she had it." Adora clucked sympathetically as Adam continued. "His wife was a sweet person, but physically weak. She died giving birth to Beau."

"Put them both together, and he believes all women are weak and will eventually abandon their men," Hawk summarized, his eyes dark with sympathy.

Adam nodded. "Sully may be a sour person to be around, but a lot of that is because of the pain he's been through. He's not a bad person at heart. Try to be patient with him."

Teela smiled to herself. Leave it to Adam to defend the man less than an hour after he chastised him.


	5. Chapter 5: Confession

_A/N: Now that the jig is up, let me thank LittleLlamaGirl for beta-reading for me. (If that sentence confuses you, take a few minutes to read "The Plot" posted by Mutiny on the Celestial Dawn.) Most of you know that descriptions are my weakness, and she's been great at catching areas to improve on—so hopefully you're getting a better picture of things than you would have otherwise! :-)__ And if you haven't gotten to read her story "Stumbling into the Light," you might want to go ahead and do that as well. She's doing an awesome job with Skeletor and Lyn!_

_I don't own any of the He-Man or She-Ra characters, and unfortunately, I'm not making any money off of writing these stories. Happy reading!_

* * *

Beau had been assigned to take them to see Baron Hutch, and then around to some of the farms and villages that had been terrorized by the Specter and his gang. When they met Beau at the landing pad, however, he gave them a self-conscious smile.

"My father insists that I have combat lessons every day," he admitted. "He said today is no different, and that I must have my lesson before I go. Unfortunately, my trainer is unavailable for another hour."

Adam grinned at the other man. "I know just how you feel. It's terrible how they can make you feel like you're still sixteen, isn't it?"

Beau smiled back at Adam. "You sound like you really understand."

Adam chuckled. "I've been there too. Sometimes I still am. Just remember if he didn't care, he wouldn't nag."

"What if I instruct you?" Teela offered. An idea planted itself in her mind as she spoke. "Then we wouldn't have to waste an hour waiting." At Beau's panicked look, she added, "Surely he can't object to the Captain of the Guard giving you a lesson."

"I-it's not that," he stammered. "If I lose to you-" He broke off, not wanting to insult her.

"He wouldn't be happy with you losing to a woman, would he?" Adora asked gently. Beau shook his head.

Teela smirked, pleased that her idea wouldn't need any finagling. "Don't worry; I'll just instruct you, Beau. You can spar with Adam."

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly spar with the prince," Beau objected, holding up his hands.

"Why not?" Adam demanded before he could stop himself. Knowing his own reputation was necessary didn't keep his pride from being stung. "I work with Teela all the time. I can hold my own in a sword fight, whatever else you may have heard." Beau's face flamed at the implication.

"Good, that's settled then," Teela said in satisfaction. Adam turned to her, his eyes narrowed.

"Why do I get the feeling I was just conned?" he asked dryly. Teela offered a bright smile.

"Because you were, my dear prince." Teela grabbed Beau's arm. "Show us where the equipment is."

"Do you want my sword?" Adora teased her brother quietly as they followed with Hawk. "It's closer in weight to yours. You might be thrown off-balance with an unfamiliar one. I wouldn't want you to hurt Beau."

Adam quirked an eyebrow at her. "Very funny, sis."

After selecting shields and swords, they went to an outdoor training area. Teela tested both swords again, making sure they were blunt, then handed them to Adam and Beau. Adam tested the weight and balance of the blade with a few practice swings. It was lighter than the Power Sword, but very close to what he practiced with at the palace.

The two opponents squared off. Teela, Adora, and Hawk all watched critically, throwing in suggestions to both of the men. After the second round, Adam bent over for a few seconds to catch his breath, and glanced over at Beau as the critiques continued.

"See what I have to put up with?" Adam complained good-naturedly. The other's friendly face crinkled into a smile.

"They're tough," Beau agreed. He hesitated, then added, "Forgive me Your Highness, but you seem rather winded. Should we stop?"

Adam's pride kicked in again. The cowardly prince act might come in handy right now, but frankly he was tired of it, and there was little need for it any longer. He stood up straight, taking one last deep breath as he did so. "That won't be necessary, Beau. We agreed to three rounds."

Teela watched Adam carefully, wanting to make sure he was really okay. "Adam, don't overdo it," she cautioned. She had thought he would be ready for another practice round today, but she hadn't expected Beau to be so skilled.

Adam threw her an irritated look, then turned back to Beau. "I'm afraid I'm still recovering from that battle with the Horde," he admitted reluctantly. "But I can handle one more round, Beau. Let's go."

Adam noted immediately that Beau was taking it easy on him. Rather than say anything, he pushed harder, swung faster, and forced Beau to take him more seriously. The other man's gray eyes widened, and he gave Adam a short nod before engaging the prince in full fury. A few minutes later, Adam realized something was wrong. The blade felt as if it were growing heavier, even though he wasn't having any trouble handling the shield. At the same time, Beau's back-handed swing, which was supposed to be aimed at the body, suddenly went high. Realizing he couldn't get his sword up in time to deflect it, Adam ducked, only to get hit in the head with Beau's shield as the duke's son swung around.

The crash of the steel against his head reverberated through Adam's mind. His vision blurred immediately, and he fell heavily on his side, dazed. He automatically brought one hand up to hold his head as he was rolled onto his back. Adam could dimly hear Teela calling his name, but the blackness around his eyes and the hands on his shoulders prevented him from getting up to reassure her.

"Adam!" Teela kneeled next to him, frantically turning him on his back and touching his head. He looked at her, or at least in her general direction, and tried to sit up. She held his shoulders down. "Oh no. You stay right there. Adora, go find She-Ra!"

"No," Adam countered, his vision beginning to clear. "I'll be all right Teela. Just give me a minute." Adora stood behind Teela uncertainly, watching Adam's face.

"That was a hard blow, Adam," Hawk said. "I think it might be best if Adora-"

"No, I'll be fine," Adam said stubbornly. He forced his way to a sitting position to prove his point, sending his head swimming again. He took a steadying breath. "She-Ra's a busy person. I'm not going to bother her because of a little headache."

"Prince Adam, I'm so s-sorry," Beau stammered. "I didn't mean-"

"It's not your fault, Beau," Adam interrupted, making his voice as firm as he could manage. "I was getting worn down and should have known to call a stop to it. It was my own foolish pride that caused it."

From her vantage point, Adora had seen Beau's blade come in too high, but she said nothing.

"Beau, I think we'll delay our visit to Baron Hutch's province until after lunch," Hawk said, crossing his arms.

"That's not necessary," Adam argued.

"I agree with Hawk," Adora interjected.

"So do I," said Teela. Adam looked around at the three determined faces and Beau's frightened expression, and relented.

"All right. I'll wait until after lunch," he said reluctantly. "But let's not waste time. You four go visit some of the local farmers without me."

"Teela and Adora can go," Hawk corrected. "I'm assigned to you, Prince Adam, and I'm not leaving." Adam quirked an eyebrow at Hawk, surprised by his vehemence.

"Very well. Does that suit you ladies?" Adam asked in a resigned tone. The two of them exchanged glances and nodded.

Adam waited until they were back in their room before he turned to Hawk. "Want to tell me why you were so adamant about staying with me?" he asked.

Hawk leveled his hunter green eyes at Adam in challenge. "Want to tell me what really happened out there?" he countered.

Adam snorted. "You must be taking lessons from Man-at-Arms. He does the same thing to me."

"What's that?" Hawk asked innocently.

"Answers a question with a question," Adam responded dryly. He picked up a pillow and leaned it against the dark brown headboard, then rested against it. "Nothing more happened, Hawk. I got tired, and suddenly felt as if I couldn't swing the sword anymore. I saw Beau's sword coming in a little high, and knew I couldn't deflect it, so I tried to avoid it. I just forgot about his shield." He grimaced.

Hawk's gaze narrowed for a minute. "Then I guess the only reason I wanted to stay with you was because I felt it was my duty to do so, Adam."

"You guess?"

Hawk shrugged. "I thought maybe there was more to what happened, but obviously I was wrong."

* * *

Miro thanked the farmer who had agreed to let him search his property for clues, his heart humming with excitement. After all this time, he'd found another note. It seemed such a silly thing to get excited over, really, when it had been written so long ago. It wouldn't actually help find him, but just reading something the boy had written brought him closer to Miro's heart.

A screech echoed in his ears, causing Miro to look up. The white falcon was back again. As he watched, she drifted slowly downwards in a circle. Instinctively, he headed in that direction. She was sitting on a branch when he drew near the stream. He fancied she must be waiting for him, and his lips curved into a smile at the ridiculous nature of that thought. Still, he couldn't help but hold up the note triumphantly.

"I found one," he told her, his voice full of joy. He sat down and stared at it for long moments. He hadn't actually found a new one since before the Enchantress had captured him. He was so anxious to open it, but so afraid. Finally, he unfolded it as tenderly as he used to brush the hair out of Randor's eyes when his son was a sleeping babe.

"Dear sir," he read aloud the falcon. His throat tightened up, and he cleared it. "I took two eggs from your chickens and some bread from your pantry." He frowned. _He actually went into the house this time?_ "I'm really sorry. I don't have any money to pay you, but as soon as I find my father, I'll ask him to pay you back."

Like all the other notes, it was unsigned, but Miro knew it was from his son. Memories of other notes he had found had tormented him the entire time he had been a prisoner of the Enchantress. He had never told Randor. If his oldest son had shown up one day, unexpectedly, no one would have believed his story. Miro had worried over that even more than he worried about ever seeing Randor again.

* * *

Beau was unusually subdued as he led them out to a nearby farm. Teela's mind was full of worry for Adam, along with guilt for maneuvering him into the duel with Beau. Adora glanced from one to the other. She finally got fed up with the self-disgust on their faces.

"Look you two; it was only a knock to the head. Adam will be fine by the time we get back. You both need to stop beating yourselves up over it," she commanded.

Beau looked at her in surprise, his strong chin going slack for a minute. Teela mentally shook her head.

"You're right," she admitted to Adora. She glanced over at Beau. "Everyone makes mistakes, Beau. The important thing is that Adam will be all right."

"But I clobbered the prince," Beau said. His face drew into a frown, worry turning his eyes a stormy gray. "You just don't do that to royalty!"

Adora laughed, thinking of all her brother had been through. "Beau, it's not as if you're Skeletor, out to get Adam. You were training and things got a little out of hand. Don't worry, I promise my family won't throw you in the prison mines."

Beau gave a shaky smile of relief. "Well, thanks, I think."

The farm they approached was extremely well kept. The whitewashed fences were in perfect condition, even though the fences were primarily cosmetic since each field had a deterrent ray to keep away unwanted bugs and animals. The lawn was neatly mowed, Teela noted, and all the bushes meticulously trimmed.

"This is a gorgeous farm," she couldn't help commenting.

"It should be," Beau replied. "It's mine."

"Really?" Adora asked.

Beau nodded. "My mother's family owned it. When she passed away, it came to me." There was no sorrow in his voice, which Teela found odd.

"Do you ever wish you had known her?" she asked, hesitation making her voice gentle.

Beau shrugged, casting Teela a glance that was much too warm for Adora's comfort. Teela seemed to catch the look as well. She discreetly put a little more distance between Beau and herself as they walked towards the main house.

"I'm not really the type to dwell on what I don't have," Beau said. "My father has been good to me, I have many friends, and I am blessed with material items. There's no point in wishing for my mother at my age." He glanced at Teela again, asking for her understanding. She smiled uncertainly at him, recalling how much she had always wanted to know about her own mother.

"So why are we coming here?" Adora asked.

"This is the farm closest to the city that the raiders hit," Beau said.

"How can that be?" Teela asked, perplexed. "It's spotless. I thought they destroyed things when they attacked."

"I have the luxury of having the funds to repair things quickly," Beau said soberly. "Most of the others who have been targeted do not have that option."

They reached the modest stone house, and Beau knocked. "My manager lives here," he explained. Teela raised an eyebrow. It was unusual for the farm manager to live in the main house, even when the owner lived elsewhere. Beau seemed to sense her unspoken comment. "I certainly don't have any use for it, and I didn't want to leave it empty."

_Sure you didn't,_ Teela thought. She was beginning to see a few similarities between Beau and Adam.

"Tyler?" Beau called out, knocking again. "Are you here?"

"Here I am," an official voice sounded from their right. A tall, well-muscled man rounded the corner of the house, dressed in rugged dark blue pants and an off-white shirt that had seen its share of hard work. "Hello, sir." His dark brown hair reached down to his shoulders, and a beard of the same shade hid most of his face, though the flash of teeth could still be seen as he grinned. His eyes were a curious dark color, somewhere between blue-green and black.

"Hello, Tyler," Beau responded with a warm smile. He quickly made introductions. "Captain Teela and Princess Adora are here to investigate the Specter's, uh, activities." Tyler failed to conceal the look of surprise on his face before Teela noticed it.

"Why do you look so surprised?" she asked suspiciously.

Tyler looked guiltily at Beau. "Duke Sully doesn't normally approve of women," he muttered reluctantly.

"Prince Adam and my fiancé, Captain Sea Hawk, are also here," Adora quickly informed him. "My brother had another matter to attend to this morning, and asked Captain Teela and me to get started on the investigation without him." Beau seemed relieved that Adora had glossed over Adam's absence so easily.

"Now," Teela said briskly, "if you could tell us what happened with the Specter, we'd appreciate it. When did this attack occur?"

"It was nine days ago now," Tyler said, again glancing at Beau as if to ask permission to tell the story. Beau gave an almost imperceptible nod, and Tyler continued. "He came from the northeast, on flying horses-"

"Flying horses!" Teela exclaimed.

Adora raised an eyebrow. "What's the big deal?"

"These aren't like the pegacorns on Etheria," Teela explained. "The flying horses don't talk, and they're completely wild. If you don't believe me, ask Adam about the time he rode one!" She smirked, then turned her attention to the present topic. "Go on, Tyler, please."

"There were six of them," Tyler recalled. His voice was gravelly, yet Adora found she liked listening to it. "All of them wore cloaks. We couldn't see any of their faces. One of them, in a gray cloak and seeming to be the leader, demanded payment to keep them from destroying the farm. Beau has told me to never give in to that type of demand, so I didn't. They smashed all the windows of the house, tore down some fencing, and left. Said they'd be back, but I haven't seen them yet."

Adora was about to ask another question when her eyes widened at something behind Tyler. "Is that thing supposed to be out of its pen?" she asked quickly.

Teela spotted it as Tyler and Beau turned around, and her heart went into her throat. An auroch. It stood easily nine feet high at the shoulder, with sharp horns that were each about two feet long. The bovine-like animal was extremely territorial. A farm could only have one male, because their primal instincts were so strong that if one auroch smelled another male, it would rip through pens—even electrically charged fences—to get to its foe. And for some reason, it looked as if this golden-colored one had decided that the four people in front of it were foes. It scraped the ground with its front right hoof and snorted a warning.

Tyler cursed a string of words Adora had never heard cross Adam's lips. She could tell they were Eternian swear words, and she was pretty sure she didn't want to know what they meant. Beau didn't look any happier. She automatically took a step back, hoping to take off and find a place to transform.

"Don't move," Teela hissed, but it was too late. The auroch focused on Adora. Teela sidestepped in front of the princess, determined to protect her.

"Teela, if anything happens to you, Adam will never forgive me," Adora whispered from behind.

"He's going to go after you," Teela said lowly. "You moved. He thinks you're ready to run."

"When he charges, dodge out of his way," Tyler commanded, pulling out a stun gun. "I have to use this at close range, or it won't penetrate his hide. It's too thick."

The auroch let out a deep, hollow-sounding bellow, and charged. Teela hesitated, not wanting to leave Adora open to the attack. Suddenly she felt an absence behind her. A quick look behind showed Adora's blond hair disappearing around the corner of the house. Teela faced the auroch again, jumping up at the same time. His horns barely missed her as she somersaulted over him, clearing him by mere inches. He looked around. Unable to find Adora, he snorted and turned back to face Teela again. Beau yelled to get his attention, and the auroch took a step toward him, then shifted towards Teela again. He staggered a little, shaking his head. Teela was tensing to jump again when the auroch's legs suddenly collapsed under him.

"Phew! That was close!" Teela exclaimed. Beau came up to her quickly and put a hand on her arm.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concern warming his eyes to an ash gray. His thumb unconsciously rubbed her skin as he waited for her answer.

"I'm fine," Teela answered, a little breathlessly. She took a step back as Adora came back around the building, her eyes narrowing at the way Beau was slowly letting his hand drop.

Beau turned to Tyler. "How did he get out of his pen?" he demanded, his voice a bit rough.

Abashed, Tyler answered, "I'm afraid I must be to blame, sir. I was the last one in his pen. I was sure I shut the gate, but obviously I was wrong." He stared at the ground, his head lowered.

Beau glanced at the two women and turned back to his manager. "It's all right, Tyler. No harm done. And we all make mistakes," he added with a grimace, no doubt recalling his own earlier that day.

The group took a look around the rest of the farm, but didn't find anything that might help them learn about the Specter. With a sigh, Adora made the decision to return to Duke Sully's estate, where they found Adam and Hawk pouring over a map of the area.

"How are you feeling?" Teela asked Adam, stopping next to his chair.

"I'm fine, just a little headache," Adam grunted, not looking up. Out of the corner of her eye, Teela saw Hawk shake his head infinitesimally at Adora. She bent closer to Adam.

"Don't I get a kiss hello?" she whispered. Adam's eyes flew to hers in surprise, and Teela drew back, frightened.

"Adam! You have a concussion!" she exclaimed.

"I do not," he said irritably.

Teela straightened up, putting her hands on her hips. "Your pupils are uneven, Adam. It's a classic sign."

"I tried to tell him to rest, but he insisted we map out the locations of the attacks to see if we could determine a center," Hawk interjected.

"Prince Adam," Beau began, somewhat tentatively, "your health is far more important-"

"Where did Adora go?" Adam interrupted.

The others looked around the room. "I didn't see her leave," Teela admitted.

"Great," Adam muttered. "I'm sure she's gone to get She-Ra." He gingerly leaned his head into his hand. "Come look at this, Teela."

Adam and Hawk had mapped out all of the reported attacks, and even indicated the direction the raiders came from based on the written reports Sully's men had on file.

"They come from all different ways," Adam complained. "We can't get a lock on where they might be coming from."

"I can tell you why," Teela said. "They're riding winged horses."

"What?" Adam's head came up, and he swallowed hard against the nausea the sudden movement caused. "Why wasn't that in any of the reports?"

"Hello, everyone." She-Ra walked in. Beau's mouth dropped open, and he hastily closed it, blushing slightly.

The group responded to her greeting, and Adam grudgingly introduced her to Beau, who seemed awe-struck by her. She-Ra turned to Adam.

"I hear you took a knock to the head."

"It's nothing," he said, even more annoyed than before. "I wish you'd all stop making such a big deal of it."

She-Ra shrugged good-naturedly. "Adora doesn't usually ask me to heal someone, so she must be pretty concerned."

Recognizing he was going to get nowhere, Adam gave in. "Well, if it's not too much trouble, She-Ra, I would appreciate getting rid of the headache."

"Gone in a second," she promised, placing her hand on his shoulder. She took her time, and healed his arm and sore muscles as well, but even so, it took longer than it should have. The effort it had taken to focus her power and heal him even left her feeling tired. Keeping her voice and face neutral, she said, "Adam, Adora wanted to talk to you in private for a few minutes. Could you come with me?"

An eyebrow raised in question, Adam rose, straining to remain steady on his feet, and accompanied her to a quiet spot where she transformed back into Adora. "Adam, what is going on with you?" Adora asked.

His startled blue eyes locked onto hers. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play stupid with me, brother. There's something wrong, and you knew that if I healed you, I would find out. That's why you were being so stubborn, wasn't it?"

"Let's get back to the others. We have a job to do," Adam said, turning on his heel.

Adora reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. "More secrets, Adam?"

Adam whirled back around, but his vision suddenly blurred. Echoing voices entered his head.

"More secrets, Adam?" Adora's angry face was twisted with an unnatural evil.

_Adam shook his head and kept his voice and eyes lowered, trying his best not to antagonize her. "It's the truth, Adora. There's not much here in the way of a medical unit. I thought some of Duncan's knowledge could be helpful."_

"_So you just called him here. Without consulting me. Might I remind you, brother, who is in charge here?" Adora snarled. _

"_You're in charge, of course, Adora," Adam said, his voice still quiet. Years of experience at pacifying Randor and Teela kept him from saying more._

"Adam! Adam, what's wrong? Adam?" His face had gone blank. Adora waved her hand in front of him, but he didn't move. The memory jumped ahead…

_Adora lunged at him with her sword, intent on killing him. They dueled…Adam threw down his sword, and refused to fight. Adora's blade came at him, and he sidestepped, trying to protect his heart with his arms. The blade pierced his chest…_

"Adam!" Adora shook him as hard as she could, frantic at his distant gaze. It seemed forever before he focused on her. "Adam, what just happened?"

"Nothing," Adam said, shaking her off as gently as he could manage. "I just zoned out for a minute." He turned away to gather himself, his breath unsteady.

Adora studied his tense body and realization dawned on her. "This is the real reason Duncan and Serena won't give you your sword back, isn't it? It's not your physical strength they're worried about. You're having flashbacks."

Adam sighed heavily, then turned back to Adora. "Sort of," he admitted, hating the weakness he couldn't control. "He-Man can't handle the emotional burden of everything that happened." His voice sounded like a recording, so carefully was he controlling the bitterness he felt over it.

"How did you keep this from everyone?" Adora asked in quiet disbelief, her blue eyes shimmering with concern. "How did you keep it from me?"

Adam sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. "It's mostly dreams," he said. "They've been costing me sleep, which has slowed my recovery. That's why it took you so long to heal me." He paused.

"And these flashbacks while you're awake?" Adora prompted.

"They're becoming less frequent," he answered evasively.

"Adam, how can your family and friends help you if you don't talk to us about it?" Adora asked, her tone becoming harder.

"I talked to Duncan about it, just like I'm supposed to," Adam retorted, not hiding his bitterness this time.

"That's what you meant when you told him it had been a week," Adora suddenly recalled, understanding lighting her face. "You were talking about the flashbacks."

"Yes," Adam acknowledged. "I hadn't had any occurrences in a week. I was hoping I was past it." His jaw twitched in repressed irritation.

Adora bit her lip. "Adam-"

"There you two are!" Beau exclaimed. "We were getting worried. Teela and Hawk were about ready to call in the Royal Guard."

Adora gave him a sweet smile. "We're fine, Beau. Just having a brother-sister chat."

"Ready for lunch?"

Adora sighed, realizing she would have to talk to Adam later. "Sure thing, Beau."


	6. Chapter 6: More Secrets?

Randor entered Man-at-Arms workshop carefully, not wanting to disturb his concentration. Then he noticed with a smile that he needn't have worried. Orko was there, staring at the ground as Duncan lectured him for the millionth time about performing magic in his workshop. The king nearly laughed aloud as several of Duncan's tools, now floating in the air with arms of their own, mimicked the old warrior. Orko caught sight of Randor, and called out with heartfelt relief, "Your Majesty!"

Duncan turned, wondering if Randor had come to speak about Adam. "Good afternoon, Sire."

"Duncan," Randor said, nodding. "I wondered if you had a moment."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Orko, please excuse us," Duncan requested. Orko floated out, plainly happy to have gotten away from the lecture. The tools followed him out, still waving their arms as if they were lecturing him.

"Duncan, I'd like to know what's going on with my son," Randor said.

Man-at-Arms swallowed hard. "I'm afraid I can't tell you anything helpful, Sire. Everything Adam has told me has been in counseling sessions, and I can't break that confidence."

Randor's chin rose slightly. "So there is something wrong." He sighed. "I should have known. With all the men I've commanded in my lifetime, I should have picked up on it."

"Uh, picked up on what, Your Majesty?" Duncan asked hesitantly.

Randor offered him a self-deprecating smile. "Whatever is wrong, Duncan. I'm his father and his king. I should have seen it."

"You're expecting too much of yourself, Sire," Duncan argued gently. His black eyes sought to reassure the king without revealing Adam's exact condition. "You know he hates to show any weakness. He's been hiding it."

Randor grabbed Duncan's arm. "What is it, then? Is he-?"

Sirens broke through their discussion. Randor and Duncan looked at each other in surprise before dashing off to the prison cells. They were there in minutes, but found only unconscious guards and a few empty cells.

"Who's missing?" Randor demanded.

Duncan checked quickly. "Tri-Clops, Trap Jaw, Clawful, and Beastman."

"Blast it," Randor muttered. He looked Duncan in the eye. "Do we need to call them home, Duncan?"

The old warrior hesitated as he considered his answer, knowing Randor was really asking if they should call Adam home. "I think to do so would do more harm than good, my king."

* * *

The small group changed their plans and decided to spend a few more days interviewing the Bereathian victims before going to Hutch's province of Myrna. They had a few minutes to themselves while Beau warmed up the vehicle they would be taking. Teela was on the communicator with her father while the others talked.

"So on Etheria, only the Horde had the technology for the machines," Hawk said to Adam, his eyebrows drawn together. "But why is there such a mixture of machines and old-style tools here?"

Adam grimaced. "A lack of metal. We have the technology, obviously, but metal of any kind is in a very limited supply on Eternia. We actually purchase or trade for much of it, and what we do get is carefully allotted."

Understanding dawned on Adora. "And the defense of the kingdom is one of the top priorities, so much of it goes to vehicles and weapons, which the nobility can use."

Adam nodded. "And the farmers," he added. "Some of them, anyway. My father, Duncan, and I have tried to figure out various ways around it, but the replicators Duncan has tried building just didn't work out." Before he could elaborate, Teela approached.

"There's trouble," she told them.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked warily.

"There was a break-out," Teela said, her voice hard. "Tri-Clops, Beastman, Clawful, and Trap-Jaw."

"Did they have help?" Adam asked immediately.

Teela nodded reluctantly. "It looks that way."

"So while we're up here chasing the Specter around, he goes and breaks out Skeletor's former crew?" Adora asked, frowning.

"You're jumping to conclusions," Hawk pointed out. "It could be someone else. Skeletor might even have returned."

"No," Adam stated promptly. "I don't think he'll go back to his evil ways."

Hawk shook his head. "You're too trusting, Adam."

The prince grinned at him. "That's why I keep people like you around, Hawk."

Teela bit her lip. She didn't like the idea of Adam being without his sword while those four villains were on the loose. Neither did the king. He wanted Adam home, and Duncan was also concerned. Teela didn't know what was going on, but she and Adam would be having a heart-to-heart talk in the near future.

* * *

By the end of the third day, they had found out no more about the Specter. Adam had the feeling that his friends were all waiting for the right time to talk to him about one thing or another, and in a way he was glad of the reprieve provided by their constant motion.

"Too bad we don't have Orko here," Adam said on their way back to Sully's estate. They were riding in a vehicle similar to the Attack Track, an older version without its computerized personality. "His magic may have been able to pinpoint something we're missing." He noticed a change in their direction. "Hey, Beau, this isn't the way we came, is it?"

"No," the other man replied. "There's something I want to show you." A few minutes later they came upon a glade with a small waterfall pouring down the side of a cliff.

"This is beautiful, Beau," Teela murmured. Beau gave her a soft look before responding.

"It is, but it's also very dangerous," he said. "We're not getting out." He pointed towards the waterfall. "Look about halfway up, and to the left."

Adam squinted against the fading sunlight pouring over the mountain. "There's a cave up there," he said in surprise.

"A whole network of them," Beau confirmed. "There are entrances all over these mountains, and on the other side of them is Myrna."

"A perfect spot for the Specter and his gang to hide out," Hawk said, his eyes narrowing. "Has anyone checked it?"

Beau shook his head. "No, as I said, it's too dangerous."

"In what way?" Teela asked immediately, her voice full of cockiness.

"Night-hunger lilies, shadow beasts, cave crawlers," Beau began reciting.

"Cave crawlers?" Adam asked. He frowned, not having heard of them before. "What are those?"

"They're sort of like big lizards, nearly the size of a man, that change color with their surroundings," Beau explained. "They are vicious carnivores, with large, poisonous claws and sharp teeth. They're also extremely fast and stealthy." Beau shuddered. "They live in those caves."

"Has anyone ever actually seen one?" Adora asked doubtfully.

Beau gave her an odd, haunted look. "I have," he said quietly, then moved the vehicle away from the glade.

* * *

Miro was tired. He wasn't quite sure where he was—not that that really mattered, since he'd just wander until he found someone who did know. He had no trouble living off the land. But he hoped he was near a town. He could use a good night's rest and some decent food for a change. _I'm getting too old for this, _he acknowledged ruefully.

As he walked, Miro recalled his long-ago visit to the Oracle at the Sea of Rakash to find out about his son. It had been a long, dangerous, and difficult journey, yet the oracle had refused to tell him everything.

"Your son is trapped in a prison of hatred and evil," the oracle had said. "To tell you now where he is and who he is would lead to the destruction of all Eternia. I am forbidden to tell you. I can tell you only that until one of royal blood points the way back to the light, in that prison your son will remain." Miro had turned away, discouraged. "But Miro," the oracle called. The then-king of Eternia turned back hopefully. "I can promise you that you will hold your firstborn son, and his firstborn son in your arms before you die."

Miro kicked at a rock. "Blasted oracle," he muttered. "Should have known better than to hope it would actually help." He pulled the note out of his pocket again and re-read it for the twenty-sixth time, even though he had it memorized already.

"Where are you, son?" he murmured. He carefully put the note away, conscious of the delicate folds already starting to fray. "Ancients, where is he?"

"I need to talk to you," Teela said, pulling Adam aside as the others went inside the castle. He tilted his head inquiringly and waited. Teela bit her lip for a second, then plunged ahead. "Your father wants you home."

"Did he order me to come home?" Adam asked steadily, not seeming surprised in the least.

"No," Teela said slowly. "But my father also said he thought you should return."

"If it's not an order, I'm not going," Adam informed her matter-of-factly.

"Adam, what's going on?" Teela asked, her eyes searching his face. "Why are they so worried about you? Why won't Serena give you your sword back?"

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her about the flashbacks, but he couldn't seem to do it. The first person who had known was Serena, and only because she was so in tune to his feelings. She had then practically forced him to tell Duncan. It hadn't been easy to admit it even to his mentor, who had seen him at his best and worst as both He-Man and Adam over the years, and who had known the truth from the beginning. Adam couldn't find the words to tell Teela that he, the so-called Champion of Eternia, wasn't so strong after all. It wasn't that he couldn't admit that he needed help. He acknowledged that he needed his friends' help frequently, to fight evil, to get out of dangerous situations…but not to handle his own emotions.

Adam forced a smile. "They're just being cautious. Come on, let's get inside. It's getting chilly." He turned and hurried towards the castle.

Teela followed more slowly. He wasn't lying, but he hadn't answered the question, nor had he denied anything was wrong. Teela pursed her lips. He had hesitated. There was definitely something going on, and he wasn't telling her. She followed him with a frown on her face.

* * *

Adora flopped onto her back, sighing heavily. Some nights the ache just wouldn't go away, and this was turning out to be one of them. Tears pooled in her eyes while questions poured from her mind. _Why? Why did you have to waste your life? Did you really love me, or was I just a pawn? _She fought the sorrow and the urge to cry for what seemed like ages. At last she gave in and turned into her pillow, muffling her sobs as best she could.

Teela, though, was a guard, and the sound woke her right away. She hesitated a few minutes, then got up out of her cot, calling Adora's name at the same time so she wouldn't startle the princess.

"Adora, what is it?" Teela asked her gently, sitting herself down on the bed.

Adora quieted herself as best she could before answering. "He wasn't all bad, Teela."

_Hordak._ Teela reached out and grasped her friend's hand. "Of course not, Adora. He saved you."

"It was more than that," Adora whispered. "His voice softened when he spoke to me, Teela." She hiccuped slightly. "He cared about me. There was one day when my lessons were canceled, and I was so mad because that meant there was nothing for me to do. I was only about eight. Hordak actually spent the whole morning with me. We dueled, we played catch, hide-and-seek." She sniffed hard. "I know it all related to training me, but he didn't have to do that, Teela. He could have assigned someone to do it."

"He could have," Teela agreed, unsure of what else to say.

"But look at what he's done to Adam," Adora said, tears streaming down her face again. "Look what he did to my family, to you. How can I be sorry he's gone with all the pain he caused?"

Teela caught Adora's reference to Adam as if the prince were still suffering, but quickly decided it was not the right time to push for information. Instead, she pursed her lips as she tried to think of an answer. She had never realized that Adora would feel as if it were wrong to grieve for Hordak. _How awful to have an adoptive father you don't feel free to love,_ she thought with a surge of gratitude for her own adoptive father.

"Hordak's actions may have made him unworthy of your love, Adora, but that doesn't mean you can't give it to him anyway," Teela said, groping for the right words and feeling as if she weren't saying the right thing. "Love is yours to give or not give. No one has the right to dictate who receives it except for you."

"I shouldn't love him," Adora whispered. "He hurt so many people." _And he used me to do it._

Teela hugged her friend hard and rocked her back and forth. "It's okay to love him, Adora. It's okay to miss him."

"How can you say that, after what he did to you and Adam?" Adora asked, pulling away and wrapping her arms around her legs.

Teela stared at the floor for a minute, her eyes tracing the stones in the pale moonlight. "It's not easy, Adora," she finally admitted. "To tell you the truth, I'm glad he's gone. But that doesn't make me blind to the fact that he raised you, that he saved you, and that some part of him loved you. And it doesn't mean that I don't feel sorrow on behalf of you. You are my friend, you have lost someone, and you have every right to grieve."

Adora's eyes welled up again and she covered them with one hand as the sobs overtook her again. Teela put an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay, Adora," she murmured over and over. "It's okay."

* * *

"You idiot," the man snapped, drumming his fingers. "I told you to kill them. Why are they still snooping around?"

"You told me to make it look like an accident," the other man replied smoothly. "The loose line in the wind raider should have finished them. I don't know how they survived it."

"That was your only decent plan," the first man snarled. His frustration mounted. "Putting spells on the swords was sloppy work. That other man with them suspected something was amiss."

"Arranging accidents isn't as easy as you seem to think it is," the other answered, a little more sharply. He returned the first man's stare easily. "If you would allow me to be more direct, I might have a bit more success."

"The auroch was another failure," the man continued as if the other hadn't spoken. He rose and paced.

"If you wish, I will try one more 'accident,' but I do have another idea," the assassin said, his tone evening out again.

The first man stopped in front of him. "Go on." As his hired help explained his plan, a smile grew on his face. "Excellent. It would solve two problems at once." He drummed his fingers on his cheek as he thought. "I would still prefer an accident, though. There would be less of a chance of discovery. Let's proceed with the original plan for now, but begin to set things in motion for this…other idea of yours."

The assassin bowed low. "Yes, my lord."

* * *

"Randor, I need to speak with you." There was an odd, tight note to Marlena's voice, and she stood before his desk without worry of interrupting him. Both were unusual enough to worry Randor immediately.

"Are Adam and Adora all right?" he asked, his own voice harsh with the sudden concern.

"They're fine," Marlena assured him. She raised a hand. "I wanted to show you this."

Randor took the picture of a blue woman with a boy who was a shade lighter blue. They looked radiantly happy. He assumed they were members of the race of Elves living in the Vine Jungle. He had believed them to be no more than children's tales until his sister shared the security feeds from her husband's stables, showing a small band of them stealing several prize horses. He had maintained a battalion on his brother-in-law's border with the jungle ever since. It was not for the sake of the horses but because his sister shared with him several stories of loyal subjects that gave adamant accounts of family members or friends who had been kidnapped by these 'blue demons.'

"Who are they?" he asked with only mild curiosity, handing the picture back to Marlena.

"You don't know?" Marlena asked, her voice heavy.

"No, of course not," Randor replied, his eyebrows raised. "Should I?"

"I thought maybe you would," Marlena replied slowly. "This was behind this picture of you and your mother." Marlena passed the other picture to her husband. Randor saw his mother, her beautiful blond hair and sparking blue eyes shining with pride. He swallowed hard against the swell of emotions that suddenly rose up. He'd forgotten how much Adora looked like her. Then he took a closer look at the picture, seeing the royal crest hanging around his neck.

"Ancients, this is the picture of my formal introduction at court on my fifth birthday," Randor said. "I haven't thought of that in years. And you say this other picture was behind it?" he asked, placing the two pictures side-by-side."

"Yes, one of the maids dropped the frame and broke it. She brought both pictures to me."

Randor stared at her for a few seconds, possibilities running through his mind. They could be friends of his mother and father. They could be distant relatives of some kind. Unbidden, the thoughts of how his father constantly wandered across Eternia came to mind. Randor looked more closely at the picture of the elves. There was something about that boy that seemed familiar to him. The boy was wearing a necklace. He couldn't make out the details clearly but he looked as though he was wearing a crest around his neck as well, different from the one Randor was wearing all those years ago…more like Miro's crest had been before his house's symbol was joined with the symbol of his mother's family, as was always done when two kingdoms formed alliances. The boy's resembled the symbol his father still wore on his lucky bracelet. It was too small to be sure to be sure, but Randor was forced to acknowledge another possibility. _Miro could have another family out there somewhere._

"Randor?" Marlena queried.

The king swallowed hard. "I guess I'll have to ask him about it when he returns again," he finally said, sounding frustrated. Marlena said nothing, but stepped around the desk to hug him. Randor bent his head and breathed in her light, spicy scent, taking comfort in it. His mind swirled with memories of odd moments when Miro's face reflected a deep sadness it shouldn't have. Randor pushed them away with an effort.

"I won't jump to conclusions," he whispered.

"I think that's wise, my dear," Marlena whispered back, in spite of her own suspicions. Randor may not have seen it past the blue of the boy's skin and the point of his ears, but she had noted the shape of his eyes and his smile. They were exactly like Miro's, and Randor's, and Adam's.


	7. Chapter 7: Around Town

_Hey, I don't own any of these characters, I just borrow them to figure out ways in which to torture them…which after you've tormented Adam as much as I have, isn't easy. And if I made money off of this, I wouldn't need a real job._

* * *

"Let's stop in town," Hawk suggested as they headed out. After five days of turning up nothing at the farms and businesses of the victims, he was tired of feeling as if they were chasing…well, a specter.

"Why?" Beau asked in surprise.

"Because towns are breeding grounds for rumors, and rumors would be more than what we have right now," the pirate growled.

"Hawk's right," Teela agreed. "We can split up and hit the taverns and inns."

"I'll go with you and Adam," Beau volunteered immediately. Adora smiled her appreciation. She and Hawk had barely had a minute to themselves since they arrived in Bereathia. Adam's eyes narrowed at how quickly Beau offered to go with them, but he said nothing.

"All right. Hawk and I will head this way," Adora said, pointing to the southern part as they approached the town. "We'll meet you back here at dinnertime."

Adam frowned, the weight in his chest returning suddenly. "Be careful," he requested, trying to hide his worry.

"We will be." Adora waved cheerfully as they split up.

Adora and Hawk wandered down the dirt road, which bustled with activity. Adora didn't care for Sully, but she had to admit the people in his charge seemed happy. They called to each other cheerfully, and several folks walked up to her and Hawk and introduced themselves for no apparent reason except to be friendly. The dwellings were well-cared for. The light gray stone that was common here was used to build almost every home and business. Adora found herself fascinated with the colorful marketplace, but Hawk pulled her past it, wanting to get to the areas just outside of the main activity. Once they got to the side streets, it didn't take long to find that Hawk and Teela had been right. At the first tavern, Adora and Hawk spoke to a woman who lit up at the mention of the Specter's name.

"Oh, a wonderful man, he is," she gushed. The couple exchanged surprised glances.

"Oh?" Adora questioned innocently. "And why's that?"

"He leaves bags of money on doorsteps," the woman told them enthusiastically, her haggard face losing some of its roughness with the delight that now colored it. "People who have run out of food, or are facing eviction, the king don't do nothing about it, the duke don't either, but the Specter, he does. He helps us."

"Now Millie, no one knows that it's the Specter that did that," said another, heavier woman, joining them. She wiped her hands on her apron as she spoke. "Them bags showed up with no warning and no note, and no one ever saw who left them."

"My John, he got those bags," Millie argued. "And he said he heard a whooshing sort of a beat, like those winged horses the Specter uses."

"Would it be possible for us to speak with your son?" Hawk asked immediately.

"I don't see why not; he's right in the back," Millie answered, smoothing her gray hair back into its bun where it belonged. She raised her voice, and called, "John!" The other woman rolled her eyes and went back to work wiping down the tables.

A large man with ginger hair and a friendly freckled face came out, too large to ride a winged horse, Adora immediately decided. She had wondered if maybe he was the Specter when Millie began gloating, but obviously he couldn't be. Like his mother, his brown eyes lit up at the mention of the Specter.

"That's right, I do think it was him that left the money," he said without hesitation. "I could be wrong, but I've heard the beat of large wings before, when the dragons flew overhead on their way to fight the Horde last month. These sounded a little different, but definitely like wings." He shook his head with a smile "I don't know how he knew I needed help, but I was on the verge of losing this place. It was damaged by a storm, and without the money to fix it…well, people stopped coming," he concluded, then pointed to a section of the inn that looked like a new addition. It was cozy with warm wood colored walls with sturdy new tables and comfortable chairs. "Now business is good again." He grinned at Adora and Hawk.

"Thank you for your time," Adora said, returning his smile warmly. "And for the information."

"What do you think?" Adora asked as they left, hooking her hand into Hawk's arm.

"I'm not surprised that Sully and Beau neglected to share this tidbit of the Specter giving what he stole to those on the verge of ruin," Hawk answered, his eyes scanning the street.

"Do you think it really is him, or do you think it might be someone within his group who is betraying him?" Adora asked.

Hawk tilted his head, considering the idea. "That's an interesting thought, Adora. And entirely possible."

They interviewed people at a few inns and another tavern. One more story, similar to the first, came to light: a farmer whose crops had been decimated by a tornado. This time, the farmer had seen someone flying away on horseback. In the shadowy moonlight, he had assumed it was She-Ra, which caused Adora to shake her head slightly at Hawk's inquiring eyebrow.

"It doesn't make much sense," Adora murmured as they left. "Why steal and destroy property, then turn around and give away the money?"

"Good question," Hawk muttered, rubbing at his chin.

A child's ball rolled into the road. A red-headed boy stood at the side, watching it uncertainly and looking behind him. Adora smiled, thinking he must have been told to never chase his ball into the street. It was wonderful that he was obeying. She looked up and down the street herself, and seeing no danger, stepped out to retrieve the ball for the young boy. She had just grasped the ball and was straightening up when she heard a yell and was tackled from behind. The wind whooshed out of her as she hit the ground hard and a heavy weight settled on her chest. Adora opened her eyes to find Hawk on top of her, his hunter green eyes glittering in anger.

"When I get my hands on the low-down dirty barnacle waste that's trying to kill you, he'll wish he had never been born," he hissed between clenched teeth as he stood and reached a hand down to help her up. "Are you all right?"

It took a few seconds for her breath to come back. "I think so," Adora finally replied, just a touch shakily. "What happened?"

Hawk pointed to a wagon a few dozen yards away. It had crashed harmlessly into the side of an abandoned well. Adora's mouth dropped open.

"But I looked," she exclaimed. "There was nothing in the street, nothing at all."

An older woman, dressed in warm yellow robes, approached them. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice trembling, and her black eyes full of tears. "I don't know what happened. The hitch was secure, I know it was. I checked it myself not five minutes ago."

"It's all right, no harm done," Adora assured her. Hawk eyed the woman harshly until Adora elbowed him in the ribs. "We'll help you clean up this mess."

"Oh no, that's not necessary," the woman objected.

"We insist," Hawk stated with a satisfied smirk.

An hour later he was fingering part of the harness as the two of them walked back to meet Adam, Teela, and Beau. They hadn't gotten more than twenty feet away from her when Adora leaned towards him and whispered, "What do you mean, trying to kill me?"

"I'll explain when we catch up with the others," he whispered back. Hawk began chatting lightly about the differences he had noticed in this town versus the Etherian towns he and Adora were used to. Adora reined in her impatience and listened, knowing she wasn't going to get him to talk before he was ready.

"Even with the 'threat' of the Specter, that constant fear is missing," Hawk observed. "They're more willing to trust."

"It's a good thing, too, or we might not have found out as much as we did," Adora agreed. She bit her lip for a second before plunging ahead. "Are you sure you want to stay here, Hawk?"

Hawk never gave her the answer she wanted to hear just because she wanted to hear it, so she wasn't surprised when he paused to consider his answer. His forthrightness was something she loved about him.

"This past month hasn't been easy," he admitted slowly. "I miss sailing, Adora. But you belong here. I can see it."

"I'm not sure I believe that. I do know that I belong with you," she countered softly. "Eternia has gotten along without me for twenty-five years. It could do it again."

"Until your brother takes the throne and has to surrender his sword," Hawk reminded her. "Then you would be needed here."

"That could be thirty years from now, Hawk," Adora protested. "You could be on the Solar Sailor that entire time."

"What about you?" he asked abruptly. "Where do you want to be?"

Adora shrugged, much to his surprise. "I…I love my family, Hawk. But sometimes I feel so out of place. I grew up thinking I was a soldier, and I became one in the rebellion. Now I don't know what I am."

Hawk understood all too well what she meant, but they didn't get a chance to talk further, as he caught sight of the rest of their party. "Looks like they didn't have any luck. Adam seems pretty down."

Adora picked up on it immediately as well. _I hope he's okay._

* * *

The five discussed what they had learned over dinner. Beyond the fact that the Specter seemed to be giving money to a few of the most destitute of people, there wasn't a whole lot more to go on. There was no pattern they could discern, and given that he hadn't struck in nearly a week, they concluded that he must know they were looking for him, and was staying quiet until they went away.

"But Hawk seems to think someone's after me," Adora said, turning to her fiancé.

"Actually, I think someone's after you and Adam," Hawk corrected mildly.

Teela was ready to believe it immediately; she had been trained to expect people to be after Adam and his parents.

"Why?" Adam asked quietly. Teela watched him carefully. She had noticed that the prince had been unusually withdrawn, but she didn't want to say anything in front of Beau.

"This," Hawk said, taking the harness strap out. "It was cut, and the wagon nearly ran over Adora." He paused as they passed it around, surprise and concern crossing their faces. "I don't think this is the first attempt, either."

"What?" Beau's eyes were wide; he obviously wasn't used to the idea of danger.

"The wind raider's loose hose, and the auroch that was accidentally released?" Hawk reminded them all. "Adam checked the engine. Beau's manager locked the animal in. This woman checked her wagon and harness. Yet they all failed, came loose somehow?"" He shook his head. "Someone wants you two out of the way, but they don't want attention drawn to it. They want it to look like an accident."

"The Specter?" Beau asked hesitantly. "But why?"

"It fits what we've learned about him today," Adora said thoughtfully. "He seems to keep a low profile whether he's doing something wrong or helping someone."

"But he hasn't hurt anyone up to now," Adam pointed out. "Why suddenly decide he wants to kill us?"

"Because we came here to investigate?" Teela suggested, popping a cracker with warm melted cheese into her mouth.

"Maybe," Hawk agreed slowly. "Or maybe he's just an easy scapegoat. Who else would want to get rid of you two?"

Adam snorted. "Anyone who wants the throne, Hawk. We stand directly in their way." Teela nodded in agreement. There was a short silence as the other three slowly absorbed the factual manner in which Adam and Teela seemed to accept the danger.

"Well, that really narrows it down, now, doesn't it?" Hawk finally asked, his tone dry. The others chuckled.

"If it's related to our investigation, it might not be Adam and me who are the targets," Adora said. "All of us could be in danger." Beau paled slightly at that.

Adam's sense of impending doom had grown as the day went on. As he listened to the others talk, he couldn't help thinking it was starting all over again. Another person on the side of evil. Another fight on the horizon. He looked around the tavern, and saw unfriendliness, uneasiness, and distrust, on the face of every person there. The hum of voices seemed to get louder, and Adam suddenly felt as if there was too much noise in the room, in his head. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then stood abruptly, nearly knocking his chair over.

"Excuse me," he muttered. "I need to get some air." He didn't notice the alarmed looks exchanged among his family and friends as he hurried out, nearly overwhelmed from the incredible volume of noise and information that seemed to be zinging around his mind. Adam staggered over to the rail and leaned heavily on his hands, taking deep breaths to steady himself.

_This isn't happening. I can't let it. Eternia needs He-Man._

He fought against the oncoming flashback, concentrating on the cool night air and the feel of the rough wood beneath his hands. His mind was flooded with memories of the angry crowd at Rock Haven, responding to the spell of hatred Skeletor placed on him. Their voices echoed in his mind, and Adam gripped the railing more tightly. _It's a memory. It's not real. _His breathing grew ragged.

"Adam?" Adora snatched her hand back as Adam jerked away as if she had burned him. "Adam, are you all right?"

His blue eyes were staring at her, unfocused. "Talk to me, Adora." His hand reached out and she grasped it.

"I'm here Adam. We're safe," she assured him. She squeezed his hand, and he returned it. Adora stepped up and hugged him hard. "Everything's okay, brother."

Adam returned her hug automatically, and the memories slowly faded. "Why is this happening, Adora?" he whispered.

"Adam, how can you ask that?" she asked, still holding him. "Don't you understand what you went through?"

"But I'm fine. Everyone's fine," he argued. "Everything turned out all right."

"I guess part of you still needs more time to process it all," Adora said, feeling out of her depth. She wasn't a counselor, she didn't know what to do for him or what to say.

Adam sighed heavily. "Maybe rushing the wedding wasn't such a good idea. What if I have a flashback in the middle of it, Adora?"

"Adam, the other day you said you were hoping you were almost past having flashbacks. Now you're worried about it affecting you nearly four months from now." Adora pulled away and studied him. "If this trip is putting too much stress on you, maybe you should step back a little-"

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I should go home," Adam interrupted. Adora stared at him in disbelief. It wasn't like him to want to give up on something. "Adora, if I freeze in the middle of a fight, I'll put you all in danger."

"You didn't freeze when the wind raider's engines went out," she argued, then immediately regretted it as a flash of disgust raced across his face. Obviously he still blamed himself for that, no matter what Hawk said about sabotage. "Look," she said impatiently, her tone causing her brother to meet her eyes, "I didn't mean for you to go home. I meant we should take a break for a day. We're not getting much of anywhere anyway. We were going to go to the garden tomorrow to look at the flowers for your wedding, so we'll just take a break from the investigation for the whole day. It'll give us all a breather, and maybe we'll be able to get a fresh perspective on the whole thing when we go over to Hutch's place."

"Myrna," Adam provided automatically. Rock Haven was one of the small towns in that province. No wonder he was having flashbacks of it. "That sounds like a good idea, Adora. Thanks." Adora smiled and turned to re-enter the inn, then noticed he hadn't moved.

"Adam? Aren't you coming back in?"

"In a minute," he replied. He glanced at her worried face. "I'm okay, Adora. I just need to talk to Serena."

"Oh. Okay, I'll see you inside." She felt relieved that he was talking to the Sorceress. Maybe she could help him.

_You really ought to get used to calling me the Sorceress, Prince Adam,_ her dry voice echoed in his mind.

_I'm lucky if I don't call Lana the Sorceress,_ he replied with a small smile.

_Hmph. How are you?_

_Not as well as we'd both like_, he answered honestly._ You know I had a flashback the other day, and nearly had another one just now?_

_Yes. I've been keeping close tabs on you._ Adam wasn't sure whether to feel comforted or annoyed by that, so he said nothing. _Is that all you wanted to ask?_

_No. _Adam hesitated a minute, then continued. _Have you tried to contact me in the last few days?_

_No, you know I haven't. Why do you ask?_

Again Adam hesitated. _It's going to sound odd, but I've had the sensation that someone wants to speak with me. I didn't think it was you, but-_

_Then perhaps you should respond and let Him know you are listening,_ came the Sorceress' amused voice.

_Him?_ Adam questioned. _Sorceress? Serena! _But she was gone. He frowned. Teelana had not cut communications like that very often. Serena seemed to enjoy the fact that she could do so. He sometimes wondered if he would ever get used to her as the new Sorceress.

* * *

Duncan approached Lana's small house nervously. Although his face seemed calm, his stomach was performing small somersaults. He told himself it was because he wasn't sure what type of reception he would receive. Lana hadn't been happy about his role in taking away Adam's sword. He knocked firmly.

"Duncan, this is a pleasant surprise," Teelana said as she swung open the door. Her tone was a bit dry but her eyes were warm, he noted hopefully.

"I was hoping to speak with you, if it's convenient," he said gruffly. Lana's eyes widened slightly as she realized he wasn't entirely comfortable about coming to her house, for some reason.

"Certainly," she said smoothly, opening the door wider. "Come on in."

He hadn't been in her house before, and like Teela, he was surprised to see the loud colors splashed about.

"Has Orko been here?" he asked before he could stop himself.

"Orko?" she asked blankly, then realized what he meant. "Oh, you mean because of my wild color scheme. No, Man-at-Arms, I simply wanted some color in my life for a while."

He sank in the brilliant blue sofa and doubted that he would be able to get out. He wondered for a moment if the sofa could have been stuffed with the sinking sands of the Maneyaren Swamp because he was sure something had to be pulling him into the blasted thing. Lana hid a smile at the sight of the armored soldier sinking further into her couch with every movement. She was still annoyed enough with him that she did not to offer to sit elsewhere.

"What brings you here?" she finally asked. Then seeing Duncan fall back into the sofa after almost pulling himself out, she broke into laughter, ending the uncomfortable formality both felt at first.

"You don't live at Grayskull anymore. I don't have to have a reason to visit you," Duncan growled. At her raised eyebrow, he immediately relented. "I don't like feeling at odds with you and Adam. I can't do anything about Adam, but I thought I could try to talk with you."

"What do you mean you can't do anything about Adam?" Lana questioned.

Duncan frowned as he struggled to lean forward. "There was a break-out. Someone freed Trap Jaw, Tri-Clops, Beastman, and Clawful, and we don't know who. I went to Grayskull to talk to Serena. I don't like the idea of Adam being out there without his sword with those four on the loose."

"And she could not give it back," Lana finished, her melodious voice reminding him of other times she had assisted them.

"That's what she said," Duncan said, finally giving up on the idea of sitting. He struggled to his feet. "Not won't. Can't."

"Once the sword is back in Grayskull, only the chosen can reclaim it," Lana affirmed for him.

Duncan paced restlessly. "I don't understand. You gave Adam the Sword of Protection to give to Adora. Why is this different?"

"Because Adora was lost, and only with the Sword could she be rescued," the former sorceress replied. "The Castle made the decision to send the Sword to her, and it chose the other sword bearer, Adam, to do so."

"So Adam is the only one who can get it," Duncan muttered. "I wish I had known. I thought we could get it to him if he needed it."

"Duncan, why did you bring it to Grayskull in the first place?" Lana asked in exasperation. Duncan's head jerked towards her. Such a tone was unusual for her.

"I told you. Adam wouldn't rest if he had it, and he needs to rest."

"I'm sure running around Bereathia chasing a criminal is very restful," Lana agreed sarcastically.

Duncan stared at her again, thinking that there were many more sides to this woman than he had realized. "There's more than just his physical well-being you know," he finally said. "Lana, you know I wouldn't have taken the sword away from him without a good reason."

"There is no reason good enough except to protect others from him," she said sharply. "Surely you don't believe Adam capable of hurting someone."

"Not intentionally," Duncan said softly, his words freezing her. Their eyes met, and Lana felt her heart pierced by the sadness and confusion she saw in Duncan's black eyes.

"You can't mean that," she said, her voice losing its conviction.

"I don't know," he said miserably. "I thought it was possible. Now I'm not sure what the answer is. If I had to do it again, I'd just hide it. I wouldn't bring it to Grayskull." He paced across the room a few times, then stopped to stare out the window. "Adam thinks I don't trust him anymore."

"You don't," Teelana pointed out.

"It's not that simple!" Duncan snapped. He sighed heavily. "I don't know why I came here. I can't tell you what's going on with him, so I can't expect you to understand or help."

"You came because we have worried over Adam together for years," Lana said with a sad smile. "But that responsibility is no longer mine." A sense of loss filled her. After so many years with a purpose, it seemed odd that she no longer had one.

"It hasn't stopped you from worrying about him, though, has it," Duncan stated more than asked, kneeling in front of her.

"No, it has not." She sat quietly for a moment. If she interfered, Serena might resent it. But Duncan was right. Adam was like a son to her, and she needed to understand what was going on.

"Duncan, I think I want to see my daughter and future son-in-law," she said, swiftly rising to her feet and heading to her bedroom to pack a few items. Duncan said nothing to dissuade her. Though his mind hadn't realized why he was coming here, his heart did. He wanted Teelana to go to Adam. He and Serena hadn't been of much help to the prince; Teelana might have more luck.

"They're heading over to Myrna the day after tomorrow," he called out to her. He walked slowly towards her bedroom, not wanting to shout but not wanting to invade her privacy either. "We can meet them there. It will give me a chance to contact Baron Hutch."

Teelana went still for a few seconds at the mention of Myrna, then she continued packing. "Rock Haven is within Myrna's boundaries, isn't it?" she asked without turning around.

Duncan's heart went into his throat. _Ancients, she's right! What have I done? I never should have let him go up there._


	8. Chapter 8: Rumors

_A/N: Thanks so much to LittleLlamaGirl for beta-reading for me, and to all of you for your kind reviews. _

_Of course I don't own these characters. If I did, I'd have the summer off. :-p_

* * *

Hawk stood at the window, watching the sunrise to the right of the Mystic Mountains, making them an even deeper violet hue than normal. They were some distance away, but glorious to look at nevertheless. Mountain views were one thing he never tired of. He was too used to watching the sun come up over the ocean. The colors were just as brilliant, sometimes even more so, but it didn't have the definition of a sunrise near the mountains.

He was enjoying this break from the palace life, even though the investigation was proceeding at a snail's pace. They hadn't had to spend a lot of time in Sully's presence, so formalities were at a minimum. He suspected that Adam knew how much the protocol weighed on him, though the prince said nothing. Hawk smirked and shook his head. Marrying a princess and having a prince for a best friend. He would have laughed until he was sick if someone had told him that two years ago.

Hawk crossed his arms as he continued to watch the sun rise. He wasn't sure he should be marrying Adora. He loved her with his whole heart, and that meant he wanted what was best for her. He wasn't sure that meant him.

_A princess shouldn't be marrying a pirate,_ he thought abruptly._ She should be marrying someone more like her father or her brother, someone good through and through. Not someone who once would have done almost anything for money._

Adam stirred and groaned. Hawk didn't turn. The prince had been doing that nearly every night. Some nights were worse than others. Hawk figured if he had watched Adora blown up before his eyes and then been made Hordak's slave, he'd have nightmares about it too. Adam was entitled to bad dreams.

Hawk's thoughts returned to Adora. He needed to talk to her. He was used to having what he wanted, but in this case, he was far more concerned with her welfare than what he wanted. He glanced over at Adam with a slight smile. Maybe the prince was rubbing off on him after all.

* * *

Adora scanned the area ahead constantly as they traveled along. She was riding shotgun with Beau, and trying to learn the various mechanics of running the vehicle, while at the same time watching for danger.

"Do you always do that?" Beau asked abruptly.

"Do what?" she asked, startled.

"Watch everything as if Skeletor himself is about to jump out and blast us," the duke's son elaborated, his eyes curious.

"I guess it is a habit," Adora admitted. "Even if we weren't watching for the Specter, I spent years training with the Horde, where I was taught that everyone and everything is out to get you. Then as a rebellion leader, that was actually true!" She chuckled.

Beau glanced over at her in awe. "So it is true. You did train with the Horde."

"Well, Hordak had kidnapped me as a baby and raised me," Adora said somewhat defensively. "But I wasn't evil. He had to have his witch, Shadow Weaver, cast spells on me to keep me from seeing the truth about the Horde." She glanced over her shoulder, a soft smile on her face. "Adam and He-Man saved me from the Horde. They helped me break the spell."

"What was it like growing up in the Horde?" Beau asked. The others listened carefully. They rarely brought up the subject; Adora never seemed to want to talk about it. This time wasn't really any different.

"I didn't know anything else," Adora answered quietly. "I didn't know I was missing my family, or that other children got to play instead of train all the time. I didn't know I could be anything but a soldier. So to me, it was just the way things were." Her voice had a tone of finality to it, and Beau let the subject drop.

Adora stared blankly out the windows for a few minutes, her mind full of memories. She didn't voice any of her other thoughts. That some nights she had cried herself to sleep because she felt so bereft without a mother's love. That Hordak had heard her on more than one of those nights, and rather than reprimand her for her weakness, he had held her until she fell asleep. A single tear dropped from her eye. She had forgotten about that until just now.

_He did love me,_ she told herself again. _In his own twisted, misguided way, he did love me._

Then her thoughts turned to the things she had done as she had grown older and taken her place among the soldiers. Adora tilted her head forward to allow her hair to cover her eyes, and bit her lip against the threatening tears.

_I hurt so many people, ruined so many lives, because of the lies he told me, _she thought. _Etheria may be free now, but I can't give back those years people lost as slaves, or the loved ones who died in the battles against the Horde. And I am partly responsible for it._

The guilt nearly overwhelmed her. On Etheria, she had not had time for such introspection. There had been too much to do, and at the time, she felt as if she were making up for the misery she had caused. But now she knew nothing could make up for it. No matter how many lives she saved as She-Ra, she could never restore the lives she had ruined.

Adam rubbed at his eyes as they approached the flower gardens. In spite of what he had told Adora a few days ago, he hadn't been sleeping well since they had arrived in Bereathia. Last night had been one of the worst. Skeletor's triumphant laugh as he had learned Adam's secret had echoed through every dream, and Hordak forcing him to choose between Teela and the old man had replayed at least twice. Adam had been sure he must have woken Hawk, since Cringer had regularly complained about him groaning in his sleep, but the pirate had said nothing.

For the twelfth time that morning, Adam reached out and grasped Teela's hand, giving it a light squeeze. Teela gave him a small, loving smile with a hint of a question in it. Adam simply pulled her hand to his lips for a few seconds, closing his eyes against the sudden heat of tears that accompanied the rush of love he felt for her.

Teela leaned in close to him. "What is it?" she whispered, her green eyes absorbing the tension in every muscle in his face and neck.

Adam turned his face so his breath tickled her ear. "I love you," he said lowly, his voice full of emotion. Teela sneaked a peak over at Hawk and saw to her relief that he was dozing lightly.

"I love you too," she whispered back. "But what's wrong, Adam?" He shook his head as they drew to a stop.

"Everybody out!" Beau said cheerily.

As they climbed out, the smell of muddy water reached Adam. Something clicked in his memory as he glanced around. Almost involuntarily, he followed the smell. He didn't even register the rows of brilliant flowers, the well-tended bushes, or the large greenhouses in the distance.

"Adam?" Teela called after him. She and Adora exchanged concerned glances.

"Beau, wait here," Adora ordered, suspecting what was happening. She, Teela, and Hawk followed Adam.

Adam pushed his way through some thick underbrush and caught sight of a wide, somewhat dried riverbed. There was something familiar about it. He glanced upstream and froze.

_Battle Cat jumped over the side of the cliff to escape the villagers. He-Man could hear Teela's scream as they disappeared from sight. Just before they hit the water, he launched himself from the saddle to give them both a better chance of surviving. The floodwaters were raging, and the normally unused ravine was full of loose rocks pushed along by the water. The water stung his fresh wounds._

"Adam?" Teela called after him. He stood rock-still, staring upstream. Teela frowned. The place looked familiar, but why?

_Battle Cat's saddle was dragging him down. He-Man dove and pulled his friend back to the surface. He-Man headed for the shoreline, trying to help Battle Cat. A rapid caused him to lose his grip on his partner. He got caught up in the current, swept past Battle Cat. He tried to swim back to the tiger, but that was a mistake. The current swept him backwards against a rock. His head slammed against it, and his vision grew blurry. He-Man stopped fighting the current and went with it, just trying to get to the side before he passed out. Suddenly there were rocks under his hands and knees. He crawled a few more feet and collapsed._

Adam's knees buckled and he sank to the ground. Adora reached him first and spoke furiously into his ear.

_He could dimly hear the hum of the Collector, but he couldn't rouse himself enough to do anything about it. He felt that weightlessness of being transported, and heard Skeletor's triumphant laugh._

"Adam, it's a memory, nothing more," Adora told him. "Teela's here, Hawk's here, I'm here. We're all safe. There's nothing here to hurt anyone."

"Adora," he whispered. _Not Skeletor. Adora._

"That's right," she answered soothingly. "It's me, Adam."

"What's going on?" Teela demanded, her eyes fearful as she kneeled next to him. "Adora, what's wrong with him?"

"Teela," Adam said softly. His head began to clear. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"Tell me what?" she asked again.

"Give him a minute," Adora suggested. A retort rose to Teela's lips, but she bit it back and nodded.

Adam winced as he realized what had just happened. He stood slowly and took a deep breath before facing his fiancée and Hawk. The pirate stood with his arms crossed, regarding Adam steadily. Teela was looking at the prince with a mixture of anger and anxiety. Adam resisted the urge to cross his own arms defensively. There was a long silence as his friends waited for him to speak.

"I-" Adam's voice faltered, and Teela's gaze softened slightly. Adora nodded reassuringly at him. "I've been having strong memories, almost like flashbacks," he finally ground out. Thank the Ancients he hadn't gotten as far as actually acting them out.

"From what Hordak did?" Teela asked immediately.

Adam shook his head. "No, they go back further than that," he admitted reluctantly.

Teela's face paled slightly as she finally looked to the north and recognized where they were. "Rock Haven is up that way," she whispered. "I never even thought about how close this flower garden was to Rock Haven." She glanced around. "This is almost the exact spot where Skeletor captured you."

"Yeah," Adam agreed hoarsely.

Teela's eyes narrowed as she looked at him again. "How long has this been going on?" she asked suspiciously.

Adam swallowed hard, feeling like a Takdryl caught in a Kryvon's web. "About a month," he said quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Teela asked, barely keeping from yelling. Adora and Hawk exchanged uneasy glances and backed away as unobtrusively as they could.

"I didn't want to worry you," he offered weakly, knowing that was a lousy excuse.

"We're supposed to get married in three-and-a-half months," Teela snapped at him. "We're supposed to help each other; we're supposed to trust each other. How can I trust you when you kept another secret from me, Adam?"

"I didn't want anyone to know," he admitted, his blue eyes troubled.

"But my father and Serena knew, didn't they?" she demanded. "And obviously Adora knew. There's no excuse this time, Adam. You weren't keeping a secret to protect anyone or anything except your own pride."

Adam didn't even reach out to her as she whirled around and marched back to the vehicle. He glanced at Adora and Hawk before following Teela, his head lowered. Adora and Hawk trailed him at a distance.

"You don't seem surprised," Adora said to Hawk quietly.

"I've been rooming with him for a week, Adora," Hawk answered just as softly. "I could tell he was having nightmares about what had happened. He's restless in his sleep, and he calls Teela's name frequently. There's no surprise at all that he's having flashbacks as well. It's to be expected."

Adora snorted. "Tell him that."

Hawk offered a half-hearted smirk. "Maybe I will."

* * *

Miro eventually discovered a small town. He had no idea what the name was, but the people were friendly, and he stayed for a few days, poking around for any clues as to where his son might have gone after he had left the last farm.

Finally he had to admit that there was no trace of his son there. _Not that he'd be hard to spot,_ he thought with a shake of his head. There was only one tavern in the town. Miro decided to go there for lunch before moving on again. It was a nice establishment, with whitewashed walls and dark wooden floors. Pictures of the palace and Evergreen Forest adorned the walls. Miro sat himself so he could look at the painting of the palace, and with only a slight turn of his head he could see outside into the dusty street.

_If he was headed towards the palace, he would have had to come through here,_ Miro thought irritably. _I told him what star to follow. Why didn't he make it?_ The obvious answer was too painful to even consider.

Miro's musings were interrupted by a loud voice behind him.

"I'm tellin' ya, it's true. Sully's going to kill the prince," a rough voice declared. Miro's heart froze, and he brought his mug up to his mouth to hide his shock. Chairs scraped as the two sat down at a table.

"Oh stop," another voice, more friendly-sounding, responded with a chuckle. "They don't kill for that anymore."

"Tell that to Sully," the first man replied, his words sounding slightly slurred. "Lady Amanda is his niece. He's going to insist Prince Adam pay for getting her pregnant."

Miro spit his ale back into his mug and struggled not to cough. He didn't want these men to suspect he'd been listening. His eyes watered as he tried to discreetly clear his throat.

"I'm sure the king won't be too happy with his son's indiscretion," the kinder-sounding man said. "He'll probably make the prince break off his engagement to Captain Teela and marry Lady Amanda instead."

The gruff voice laughed harshly. "If the prince survives breaking off the engagement, you mean," he added. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to cross Captain Teela!"

Miro had heard enough. Thoughts of his lost son temporarily pushed out of his mind, he dropped some coins on the table and rushed out the door, heading straight for the palace.

* * *

"You-you're leaving already?" the garden owner asked, frowning through his red-and-white mottled mustache. He seemed frightened by the very idea. "But my lady, you haven't seen any flowers yet."

Adam came up. "Sir, give us just a minute please," he requested quietly.

"Certainly, Your Highness," the man said nervously. He walked away, Beau casting curious glances over his shoulder as he followed.

"Teela, I know you're angry with me," Adam said, his tone apologetic, "but is it a bump-in-the-road kind of anger, or an I-won't-marry-you anger?" He was taking a chance at pushing this now, but Teela's flares of temper seemed to burn out much more quickly lately, so it was worth a try.

Teela spun on her heel to face him, shocked at the question. But she didn't look directly at him. "I know I can trust you to do the right thing, Adam, but it seems I can't trust you to tell me everything. That bothers me."

"That doesn't answer the question," Adam pointed out, disheartened by her response.

"Maybe I don't have an answer right now," she retorted. Adam's heart seemed to stop, and he quickly changed tactics.

"Why won't you look at me?" he asked gently.

"Because," Teela said stubbornly.

"Because why?" Adam almost smiled, they were being so childish with each other. He waited patiently, and Teela looked up at last, her heart melting immediately.

"Because once I see that sadness in your eyes, I can't be mad at you anymore," she muttered. "And I should be mad at you."

"Yes you should," Adam agreed softly, stepping closer to her and caressing her cheek with his fingertips. Teela's eyes locked onto his. He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, Teela. I'm sorry I couldn't swallow my pride and admit to you what was going on. I was ashamed."

"Why?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

Adam glanced towards Beau and the gardener. Seeing them in deep conversation, he answered her honestly. "Because I'm He-Man, Teela. I should be able to handle these things. Eternia needs me. I shouldn't be an emotional wreck. I can't be."

"You expect too much of yourself," Teela admonished him, crossing her arms. "You can't keep going as if nothing bad has ever happened to you. You have to give yourself time to deal with it."

"That's what I told him too," Adora said as she and Hawk approached.

"And they're right," Hawk added. Adam looked at all three of them, incredulous.

"What is this? Gang up on the prince day?"

"No, this is what you would have heard a month ago if you'd been honest with us from the beginning," Adora retorted. "And maybe you wouldn't be having such a hard time now. I can't imagine the stress of hiding this has helped you any." Adam stifled a guffaw, knowing he was outnumbered.

"Fine, now you know," he said steadily, crossing his own arms. "Are we picking out flowers or what?" He tilted his head questioningly at Teela, and she paused, seeing the insecurity in his eyes. She would never admit it, but the idea that she was able to keep Prince of Eternia off-balance, that he loved her that much…it did something to her. It was amazing to her that this man, who meant so much to so many people as He-Man or as Adam, had chosen her. She couldn't quite explain it, but the thought filled her with a mixture of ecstasy and fear. It made her feel cherished. She suddenly wondered if Skeletor had found yet what a wild ride love was. Pushing the odd thought away, Teela grabbed Adam's arm.

"Let's go, my prince," she said, smiling at him. He relaxed but didn't immediately smile back.

"I can't promise no more secrets," he said, reaching out and grasping her shoulders. "As Prince of Eternia and Champion of Grayskull, I may learn things I don't want to know and can't share with you."

"I know that," Teela said, staring hard at him. "But this wasn't one of those times, Adam. I need to know that I can trust you not to keep secrets about you, about us." She smiled sadly. "But you can't even do that, can you? You never know what secret Serena or Zodac may choose to tell you."

"No, I can't," Adam admitted. "But you're right. I shouldn't have kept this from you. And I promise to try to do better, Teela. I won't keep a secret from you unless I have no choice. Fair enough?" His blue eyes burned with sincerity as he searched her face.

"Fair enough," she agreed, her heart lightening a little. "Shall we go look at those flowers now?"

"Midnight blossoms, pink sun lilies, red roses, or yellow roses?" he asked her, rattling off her favorite flowers as she took his arm again.

"Pink sun lilies," she answered immediately. "They're a symbol of hope." After a pause she added, "With a few midnight blossoms thrown in, since that's the first flower you gave me."

Adam smiled in surprise. "I forgot all about that."

"That's why they're one of my favorites…"

Adora and Hawk smiled as they watched the couple go off to talk with the gardener. Beau joined them.

"What about you two?" he asked with his gray eyes twinkling. "Ready to start looking at flowers yet?"

Adora laughed. "Oh no. We've got plenty of time for that."

"You're not doing a double wedding?" Beau asked in surprise.

Adora shook her head. "We just moved to Eternia, Beau. We want more time to adjust to things here before we get married."

Beau hesitated a few seconds, and Adora sensed what was coming. He didn't disappoint her. "Look, I don't mean to pry, but rumors go around pretty quickly. If you don't mind my asking, I mean, it would help if I knew what was true…" He stumbled to a stop, reddening.

"When Adam and Teela were children, they pledged to marry each other when they were twenty-five," Adora supplied, trying hard not to smile at Beau's embarrassment. "Their parents didn't even know. Adam and Teela only recently discovered that they truly do love each other, and once their engagement became official, they decided they still want to honor their childhood pledge."

Beau looked relieved. "I tried to tell my-I mean, I tried to tell them that it couldn't be anything bad, but they insisted that there had to be some other reason."

"Beau, what are they saying?" Hawk asked, curious.

The man's face flushed all the way to his blond roots. "What aren't they saying?" he responded sourly. Adora heard his father in him for the first time. "Teela's pregnant and due in five months is the most popular. Others have one of them with some incurable fatal illness." He shook his head. "One has King Randor on his deathbed, with Adam so anxious about taking over he decided to get married quickly. Still another has Adora plotting her brother's demise, and Adam is so fearful of her succeeding that he's trying to get an heir as quickly as possible. Some say He-Man is actually on a six-month hiatus, and Adam wants to marry Teela before He-Man comes back and steals her from him. Then there's the one that Adam is so afraid of Skeletor's imminent return that he figured he'd be safer sleeping with a bodyguard."

It was just too much. Adora burst into laughter, Hawk joining in almost immediately. "Don't these people…have anything better to do?" she asked between peals of laughter.

"Apparently not," Beau said, starting to chuckle himself.

"What's so funny?" Adam asked as he and Teela returned.

"Apparently you're trying to marry Teela before He-Man gets back from vacation," Hawk said with another laugh, holding his aching stomach.

"And you decided Skeletor's so dangerous you'd be safer sleeping with a bodyguard in case he returns," Adora giggled, tears streaming down her face.

"What?" Adam and Teela echoed.

"They asked me what rumors were going around," Beau said a bit defensively. Adam smiled ruefully at Teela.

"We knew it would happen," he said with a shake of his head, a snicker escaping him.

"So what do you think of the flowers here?" Adora asked, wiping at her eyes.

"I love them," Teela said promptly. "Will it be a problem to get the sun lilies and midnight blooms?" she asked the gardener, Lee.

"If you're sure that's what you want, it's no problem at all," he said. "I just have to grow them in the greenhouse. I'll need to know by next month."

Adam glanced at Teela's face then gave Lee some coins. "It's already decided, Lee. Please take care of it, and we'll be back in touch closer to the wedding to work out delivery and any other details."

Lee looked down at the coins in his hand, wide-eyed, then back up at Adam. "But Your Highness, this is more than-"

"We'll be in touch," Adam interrupted firmly. "I'm afraid we have to get going now."

"Thank you," Lee said, closing his hand around the coins. His eyes looked suspiciously wet. "Thank you very much!"

"What was that all about?" Adora asked curiously as they drove away.

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Adam said airily, settling back and closing his eyes. Next to him, Teela smiled indulgently. Adora raised an eyebrow to her.

"You know Adam," Teela said with a small shrug. "We're out there thirty seconds, and the man is telling Adam all about his sick wife."

"Are they having trouble with the medical expenses?" Adora asked sympathetically. The track bumped around roughly. Adam sat up straight, tilting his head to listen to the engines better.

"He didn't say, but Adam can't let anything like that go if he can help in someway," Teela said pointedly. Adam ignored them, though the faint blush to his face gave away his underlying embarrassment. The engine continued to run smoothly for a few minutes, and he stopped paying attention to it as Adora voiced her next question.

"Is it something She-Ra could help with?"

"It might not be, sis," Adam said hesitantly. "It's a chronic condition of some kind."

"She-Ra's never tried to heal one of those," Adora said doubtfully. "Etheria didn't have many people with that type of illness. The Horde usually did away with them." Her voice faded into sadness.

They all looked up as a banging noise sounded from the top of the vehicle. "What's that?" Adam called to Beau and Hawk up in the front. The frequency of the sounds increased quickly, and shifted to come from both the top and the side of the track.

"Rock slide!" Hawk called back. "Hang on!"

They couldn't go back, so Beau pushed the vehicle to full throttle, hoping to get through. The roar increased, and the slide grew more intense. The track was caught in the rush and started to tip sideways.

"We're not going to make it," Hawk yelled. "Brace yourselves!"

Teela grabbed Adam's hand. Adora gritted her teeth. She couldn't transform in front of Beau, though the temptation was strong. Her eyes met Adam's, reflecting the veiled frustration they both shared and could barely contain. Harsh metallic groans mixed with the crackle and sizzle of electronic components burning out as they were pushed beyond their capacity. Mixed in were the involuntary shouts echoing through the vehicle as it tumbled sideways down the mountain.

* * *

_A/N: I know, that's a really evil cliffhanger, but I just couldn't resist. I promise to try to update within a week!_


	9. Chapter 9: Trapped

_A/N: I hope five days wasn't too much of a killer. ;-) A BIG thank-you to all who reviewed the last chapter. It was one of the few times when the all parts I hoped would get a reaction actually did, and it just made my week. (OK, so it doesn't take much to make me happy.) _

_And Megan...yes, actually, there have been times when my head felt like it was going to explode with all the plot bunnies and ideas running around in there. Fortunately, it's still attached to my body, and you ain't seen nothin' yet. ;-)_

_I don't own any of the original MOTU characters. However, I suppose I should point out that Serena, Beau, Sully, Hutch, and the Specter are mine. I don't mind fellow fanfic writers using them, but a heads-up is appreciated. :-) _

* * *

The rolling motion and the noise seemed to last forever. At last the track settled against a tree at the base of the mountainside. The rocks settled around them, nearly burying the vehicle completely.

Beau gingerly touched his head and winced both because it hurt and because he felt something wet. Pulling his hand away, he saw it was partly covered with blood. His stomach lurched and he felt weak. He had never been able to stand the sight of blood; he closed his eyes quickly.

"Is everyone all right?" he asked hoarsely. A deathly silence met his query. Beau forced his eyes open and looked over at Hawk. The pirate was breathing heavily and slowly bringing his arms down where he'd been bracing himself against the rooftop.

"I think I'm okay, but I'm stuck," he said. The side and front of the vehicle had bent in on his right leg, trapping him. "Adora? Adam?"

"I'm here," Adam said faintly. In all of the tossing, something had hit him in the solar plexus, and he was just catching his breath. He looked across at Adora. She lay limply across the seat, only the belt holding her there. "Adora!" he called over to her, not nearly loud enough. He glanced at Teela next to him. She was holding her right forearm near the inside of her elbow; blood was seeping through her fingers.

"I'm okay," she told him, catching his look of concern. "Just a cut." She switched on her homing beacon as they unbuckled themselves and knelt next to Adora. Beau coughed from the dusty air inside the vehicle.

"Is Adora okay?" Hawk called, continuing to strain against the metal holding him prisoner. Beau poked at various buttons, but nothing worked. He couldn't open the hatch or even call for assistance.

Adam knew before he touched her that Adora was still alive; if she hadn't been, he would have sensed it. But he felt for a pulse anyway. As he expected, it was there, steady and strong.

"She's alive, Hawk. She's just unconscious," he assured the pirate. He exchanged uneasy glances with Teela. No He-Man or She-Ra to come to their rescue. They were stranded. Adam looked up. "Beau, does this model have an escape hatch up top?" he asked.

Beau climbed into the back. "Yes, a manual one." Adam spotted it just as Beau pointed at it. The two men reached up and pushed with all their might. It slid open only a few inches. The roof was too crumpled to allow it open any more. The front of the track was completely covered in rock; they couldn't break out the windows without risking the rocks burying them further.

"Great," Adam muttered. "Anyone bring some cards?"

"We could play 'I Spy,'" Hawk joked back. "Not that there's much to spy in here."

Adam sat back and closed his eyes for a moment. _Serena. Serena, can you hear me? _There was no answer. He sighed heavily. _Sorceress, are you there?_

_Ah, he can be taught._

_Very funny,_ he snapped mentally, wishing he could talk aloud to her. _We're trapped._

_Trapped?_ He could hear the alarm in her voice, and he couldn't help but smirk. It served her right for ignoring him at first. _By whom?_

_Mother Eternia,_ he answered drolly, though after Hawk's comments the day before, he wondered if that were true. _There was a rock slide- _His thought broke off as a memory surfaced. He pushed it away.

_Adam, if you would accept your memories and the feelings that go with them, you might actually heal._

_We need help,_ he told her, ignoring her comment.

There was a short silence. _Ah yes, I see you on the view screen. Help is closer than you know. _She broke off communication.

Adora groaned, and Adam went to her, thankful for something to focus on. Unfortunately, their proximity to Rock Haven, being buried under a rockslide, and an injured person before him proved to be too much.

"Teela, watch over her," Adam said hoarsely. He went to the front and sat down in the driver's seat, breathing heavily. Beau cast him a concerned glance and kneeled next to Teela, wishing he could help Adora in some way.

Hawk eyed him with concern. "What is it, Adam? Is Adora all right?"

Adam nodded jerkily. "She will be." He closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"Adam? What's wrong?" Hawk asked, again straining against the metal imprisoning him.

Adam shook his head slightly. "We're close to Rock Haven." Hawk could hear a note of distress in his friend's voice.

"What's so special about Rock Haven?" Hawk prodded.

Hoping that telling the story would control the flashback he was trying to fight off, Adam began talking. Conscious of Beau still in the back, he was careful to temper his words as he told Hawk the story of a rock slide near the town two years before, and the little boy who had lost his life there. "He-Man and I couldn't save him. He-Man held him in his arms as he died." The pain of that failure washed over Adam, but Serena had been right. Accepting the memory, confronting it, allowing his feelings to exist instead of pushing them aside to deal with later—it had all combined to give him control over the memory. It hadn't turned into a flashback. Adam breathed a sigh of relief.

Hawk had listened in silence, watching Adam's face. The more he knew of this man, the more he respected him. Listening to the prince, he caught glimpses of Adora. It amazed him that the twins, raised on different planets with entirely different sets of values, had both become so good-hearted. Their inner virtue was so incredibly strong. Hawk shook his head slightly, again wondering if he was really good enough for Adora. He reached over and grasped Adam's shoulder.

"It sounds to me as if you and He-Man did all you could," he said steadily, no sympathy in his voice. It was the assurance of one soldier to another, full of respect.

Adam nodded slowly, his gaze distant. "We did," he acknowledged quietly. There was a pause, the silence eerie. Teela and Beau had been listening to his story as well, he noticed as he looked around and forced some cheerfulness into his voice. "Well, story hour's over. Where's the rescue party?"

There was an answering moan. "What happened?" Adora asked faintly, holding her hand to her head.

"Easy," Teela admonished her as the princess tried to sit up. "Lie still. We were caught in a rockslide, and you got banged up pretty badly."

"Where's Hawk?" Adora asked, seeing only Beau and Teela from where she was laying. "And Adam?"

"They're fine, they're both in the front," Teela soothed her. "Hawk's leg is trapped, but other than that he's fine."

"And help is on the way," Adam called, full of good spirits now. He was so relieved he hadn't lapsed into a full flashback, he couldn't help but feel better, and now that he knew help was close, his positive nature kicked in. "Welcome back, sis."

"How do you know help is on the way?" Beau asked, frowning. "The communicator was shorted out."

"I have my ways," the prince said mysteriously, a smirk on his face.

"Which are?" Beau pressed. He apparently wasn't willing to accept Adam's word for it.

Adam gave a full grin and lifted his wrist. They could hear a crackling noise. "Someone other than us is almost in range of the communicators. They're trying to get through, but can't yet, probably because we're half-buried under the rock." Teela noted with surprise that the same noise was coming from her communicator, but she hadn't noticed before.

"Already? I wanted to hear more stories," Hawk complained lightly.

"Stories…" Adora murmured. She looked over at Adam. "That dream I had about a boy in a rockslide wasn't a dream, was it? You were telling a story."

"That's me, chief story-teller of the outdated ground track," Adam said with a grin. He made a few circular motions with his hand as he dipped his head as if accepting applause. "I'm taking requests for a limited time only."

"I want to hear how you and He-Man rescued Adora from the Horde," Beau said immediately. He flushed slightly. "That is, if you don't mind, Adora." She shook her head weakly.

"Well, it actually was He-Man who met her first and helped her break the spell Shadow Weaver had on her," Adam began. "I arrived on Etheria with Cringer…"

* * *

It was Duncan and Lana who were in the vicinity. When Duncan's voice first came over his communicator, Adam paused in his story and frowned, but his frown turned to confusion when he heard Lana's voice. He looked to Teela and saw that she hadn't expected her mother to be nearby either.

By the time the couple arrived, the others had been trapped for more than two hours. The rocks came up around the vehicle too far for them to get much light. Only Adam's story telling kept them from snapping at each other.

"I wish I had known it was this bad," came Duncan's voice over the communicator. "I'm afraid there's not much we can do to get you out of there. We'll need help."

"What if you attach a cable to the track, and pull it loose from the rocks?" Teela suggested.

"The wind raider might have enough power to do that," Duncan agreed reluctantly. "But it might cause the rocks to slide again, and that would be dangerous for all of you."

"Duncan, we need to get out as soon as possible," Adam stressed, glancing at Adora's face. She had grown paler and her breathing was shallower. He was starting to worry she had internal injuries they didn't know about. "There's an escape hatch up top, but we can't get it open. Do you have something that might cut through it?"

"Let me look. We weren't planning to be on a rescue mission when we left," he informed the prince in a slightly dry tone. There was a long pause as the group waited anxiously. Finally his voice came back over the line. "I've got a laser, Adam. Clear everyone away from that hatch." Beau stared at Adam curiously. He would have expected Man-at-Arms to be communicating with the captain of the guard, not the prince. He found Adam's calm attitude intriguing.

Cautious footsteps sounded on the roof. There was the smell of hot metal, sparks flew about, and within moments, a good-sized hole had been cut, and Duncan's concerned face was peering in.

"Is everyone all right?" he asked as he grasped Teela's hand to pull her up and out. His heart nearly stopped as she shook her head. Adam's head popped up as he raised himself out.

"Adora's hurt pretty badly," Teela said quietly. "I'm not sure we should move her. And Hawk is stuck." She waved to her mother, who waited near the wind raider. Duncan had been concerned about their weight shifting the rocks; he had asked her to stay away.

"Get Beau out of here," Adam whispered hurriedly. "Adora's sword can heal her, but-"

Duncan nodded quickly in understanding; she couldn't use it while Beau was around. Adam cleared the hole and reached down to give Beau a hand. The blood on the side of the man's head gave him the perfect excuse.

"Beau, Man-at-Arms and Lana are going to fly you and Teela back to Bereathia," he said.

"But Your Highness," Beau protested weakly, "Adora is in far worse shape, and if Hawk is right about someone being out to get you, it will be dangerous for you to be out here."

"We need time to get Adora out safely. Besides, I'm the only one not injured, and I'm not leaving my sister," Adam said firmly, iron determination tightening his jaw as he saw Duncan's look of alarm. "You and Teela need medical attention." For the first time, Man-at-Arms saw the blood on his daughter's arm, and as Adam had hoped, it distracted him.

"Let's go, you two," he ordered. He glanced at Adam. "I'll be back in less than an hour."

Adam watched them go. As soon as Beau reached out to take Teela's arm and help her over a particularly loose section, he wondered if he had just made a mistake. Sighing, he lowered himself into the track. Adora was perfectly still. Adam frowned and knelt next to her, gently lifting her up and reaching for the sword he knew was there, although it was magically hidden from view.

He could feel the connection to Grayskull immediately. It caught him off-guard, because this was Adora's sword, not his. Yet the power still called to him like an old friend. Adam carefully put the sword in Adora's hand and stepped away, knowing it was unsafe to be too close to her as she transformed.

"Adora, you have your sword. You need to call on Grayskull's power," he urged her. "Adora!" She didn't move. Adam's jaw tightened in concern as he knelt next to her again and spoke louder, directly into her ear. "Come on, Adora. For the honor of Grayskull. Say it!" Hawk strained to turn around enough to see, but Adora was on the same side of the track he was, and he couldn't see anything. He could hear Adam repeating himself again and again. The pirate punched the console in frustration, then ground his teeth and shook his hand against the pain he'd just caused himself.

"Blast it," Adam muttered finally. He should have been more careful to keep her awake. What if she had a concussion, and had slipped into a coma? He shook her desperately, yet gently. Then his hand brushed the sword as he ordered his sister again, "For the honor of Grayskull, Adora!"

The jewel in the sword glowed, and the light enveloped Adora. Adam snatched his hand back and watched in amazement as color returned to her cheeks. She opened her eyes and sat up, completely healed.

"What happened?" she asked blankly. She looked from her sword to her brother. "How did you do that, Adam?"

He shook his head, as perplexed as she was. "I don't know. The sword just seemed to react somehow."

"Excuse me, but I'm still stuck," Hawk reminded them irritably, still rubbing his hand. "If you don't mind, Adora…"

"Oh, sure," she said, raising her sword. Adam stepped back as she called on Grayskull's power, transforming herself into She-Ra. She immediately crawled to the front of the vehicle.

"I'll have you out in a second, Hawk," she said as she pushed at the console.

"That's good," he said, pulling his leg free. "Thanks, She-Ra."

"You're welcome." She tossed Adam a curious glance. "Adam, what did the sword react to?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I touched it while I was trying to get you to say 'for the honor of Grayskull.' Our swords have powers even we don't understand or know about, She-Ra. Maybe it reacted somehow to the connection between us."

"Or to the fact that you also bear a sword of Grayskull," She-Ra added.

Adam pulled a face. "Usually, you mean."

* * *

Man-at-Arms peppered them with questions on the way back to Bereathia. Teela finally snapped at him.

"Father, it's been an awful day, and I'm tired. Can't the questions wait until later?" she begged. Beau reached out a hand and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, his hand warm on her bare skin. Lana's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"All except the one about who might be out to kill Adam and Adora," her father said firmly.

Teela sighed. "We don't know. There have just been a lot of accidents since we left the palace." She quickly gave Duncan and Lana a recap. They were in Bereathia by the time she was finished. Teela and Beau climbed out, Teela urging her father to return to the others quickly, and promising to get her arm looked at immediately.

"Your father was very worried about you," Beau commented as they walked to the infirmary.

"Yes, he usually is," Teela said a bit dryly. Beau suddenly staggered a step and leaned against the wall. He sank down slowly. "Beau! Are you alright?"

"I think so," he said so quietly she had to lean in to hear him. Teela kneeled in front of him and grasped one of his heavily muscled arms, the black fabric of his shirt rough beneath her hand.

"Beau? Do you feel like you're going to pass out?" she asked.

He shook his head slowly, and muttered something beneath his breath she couldn't hear. She leaned in even closer, her head inches from his. "What?"

"I wish I'd gotten to you before Adam did," he murmured. His eyes, which had been mostly closed, suddenly popped open, revealing a mixture of smoky desire and shock that he'd said that aloud. Teela was so stunned that she automatically turned to face him, her lips nearly touching his as she did so. They both sat there, frozen for a few seconds.

"I've dreamed about you almost every night since we met," Beau finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I couldn't believe I let you leave without finding out where you were from, or how to get in touch with you again. I've looked at the face of every woman I've come across, hoping to find you again."

Teela stood hastily. "Beau, you've got a head injury. You don't know what you're saying," she said, her face flaming.

"It's true," he insisted, getting to his feet as well. The room began to spin slightly. "Oh," he groaned. There was a heavy pause. Teela wasn't sure whether to stay near him in case he fell or back away as she wanted to do. "Maybe you're right," Beau whispered. "Whatever I just said, ignore it."

A numbness enveloped Teela as they walked to the infirmary. She kept a close eye on Beau, afraid his head was worse than she had realized. But at the same time, she couldn't wait to get a bandage on her arm so she could get away from him.

* * *

Adam, Hawk, and Adora made their way towards the clearing where Duncan had landed earlier, then wandered aimlessly as they waited. Hawk gradually made his way back towards the remains of the rockslide.

"That story I heard while we were in the track…that was about the boy who was killed in the aftershock?" Adora asked Adam.

Adam nodded and looked around. "I think Rock Haven is actually just on the other side of this mountain," he said. "It's right on the border between Myrna and Bereathia."

"Adam," Adora said hesitantly. She bit her lip as her brother turned to her. "Was that the first time you failed to save someone?" she asked, her voice sympathetic.

Her wording pierced his heart. "Yeah," he answered roughly. "The only time, until Hordak 'killed' Teela."

"Do you ever feel like it's too much to bear?" she asked in a small voice. "The fact that so many people depend on us?"

Adam gave her an odd look. "I used to," he answered quietly.

"What changed?" Adora asked. She felt a desperate need to know.

Adam didn't answer at first. He seemed to be deep in thought, and for a moment, Adora feared he might be heading for another flashback.

"A lot of things," he answered finally. "Orko learned the truth. Cringer became Battle Cat. I found you." He gave her a lopsided smile. "But really, it's knowing that there is a greater good out there, somewhere, watching over us somehow."

Adora felt a tug at her heart, because she still didn't understand what he meant by that. He had tried to explain that he had met goodness itself when he had "died," but the idea that such a being, if it did exist, would care about them, didn't make sense. How could something care about her? "Adam, I've done so many things I never told you about," she confessed softly.

_Where did that come from? _Adam wondered. Aloud he said, "Adora, I know you did things while you were under the Horde's spell. You couldn't help it, though."

"But don't you see?" Adora whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "You failed to save one little boy, but you tried. You _tried_, Adam. I didn't try to save all those people. I tried to hurt them. And I succeeded." Her heart ached at the memory of the tear-stained, dirty faces, of families screaming for each other as they were torn apart. "I did so many evil things, Adam."

Adam grasped her firmly by the shoulders. "Because they made you, Adora. Now that you have a choice, you always try to do the right thing. That's what you need to remember."

Adora allowed Adam to pull her into a hug, taking comfort in the solid strength of her brother's arms. She didn't protest anymore, but confused thoughts continued to tumble through her mind. _Do I do it for the right reasons, though? Am I truly good inside, or am I just so filled with guilt that I can't bear it? What if I'm trying to assuage that guilt by doing good deeds?_

The whine of the wind raider reached their ears, and Adam tensed immediately. He backed a few steps away from Adora and crossed his arms, his jaw tight. Adora realized with a sinking hear that he was still angry with Duncan.

_It's not like Adam to hold a grudge,_ she thought. _But then, his anger has to go somewhere, I guess._ Hawk came alongside her and put an easy arm around her shoulders. Yet looking up at him, Adora realized that he, too, was tense. The hand at his side was clenched tightly, and he watched the wind raider lower to the ground with a hard line to his jaw. Occasionally he would glance at Adam, and concern would cross his face, but then his hand would tighten again, his mind turning away from the prince back to whatever was bothering him.

"Get in," Duncan called without getting out. He was anxious to return to Bereathia and see how Teela was doing. The three of them piled into the back in silence.

"So what's this I hear about someone trying to kill you two?" Duncan asked as they flew. "Teela told me about the 'accidents.' Do you think the Specter's behind it?"

"It's someone who knows our plans fairly well," Hawk answered grimly. "That rock slide was no accident. I found this." Hawk held up a tangle of twisted metal with half-gone detonator cap.

"Someone blasted the mountain to try to get us?" Adora asked, her eyes wide. "I think I was safer on Etheria with the Horde!"

Lana smiled at Adora's exaggeration. "Have you asked Serena for her help in determining who is doing this?" she asked.

"No, I didn't even think of it," Adora answered hesitantly. She glanced at Adam, for the first time realizing that his anger was directed almost entirely at Duncan. He had talked to Serena just last night, and none of this irritation had showed.

"Neither did I," Adam said lowly. He leaned back and closed his eyes. The banging around he'd taken during the track's tumble was starting to make itself evident. Adam's body hurt. Pain lanced out, throbbed, and constricted in many different places he didn't know he'd hurt until now. He felt as if he had been a punching bag for Skeletor and his entire band of minions.

_Serena-Sorceress, can you hear me?_

_Sorceress will do, Prince Adam. _The slight irritation in her voice put a small, smug smile on his face. The slip had actually been unintentional, but if she thought otherwise, so much the better.

_Are you able to tell us anything about what's going on?_

There was a long pause. Adam could hear the others' voices, but he didn't listen to what they were saying. Finally, Serena answered. _You know I am often forbidden to tell you everything, Adam. This is one of those times. You must find the answer for yourselves. I can tell you only that the Specter is a lost soul, turned evil because of the hurt he suffered in his past. Until he confronts that past, he will have no peace, and neither will you. _Then she was gone.

Adam sighed in annoyance as he opened his eyes. Hawk and Adora looked at him expectantly. "Serena can't help us," he said, making no attempt to hide his irritation. "She could only say that the Specter needs to confront his past in order for him or us to have any peace."

Lana glanced at Duncan in time to catch the hurt on his face. Adam's brusque tone was unusual, and the old warrior felt it was directed at him. An urgency to talk to Adam grew in her, and Lana struggled to temper it. Today was not the time. She and Duncan would drop the trio off in Bereathia, and go on up to Myrna, where they were expected. Tomorrow, though, she and Adam would talk, Lana promised herself. Tomorrow.

* * *

"I want to talk with you," Adora told her brother firmly that evening.

Adam had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping that he didn't feel like talking. Teela and Beau had been clearly uncomfortable with each other all evening, and thoughts of what might have happened between them had tormented him through dinner and afterwards as well. But he trusted Teela, and he wasn't going to ask her what had happened until he was sure he could say it with concern and not as an accusation. The effort to keep silence had cost him his patience, and it was a struggle not to take it out on Adora.

Adora ignored Adam's look and grabbed his arm, pulling him into her room. Teela wasn't there, and Adam couldn't help but wonder where she was.

"Hello," Adora called, waving her hand in front of his face. "Are you having a flashback, Adam?"

"What? No," he answered defensively. "I was just wondering where Teela is."

"She's checking the wind raider for our trip tomorrow. Hawk is with her, trying to pick up on some of this mechanical stuff," Adora answered. Her tone was carefully neutral, but her eyes held sympathy. She too had noticed the tension between Teela and Beau.

"Oh. So what did you want to talk about?" Adam asked, crossing his arms.

Adora stood directly in front of him and looked him square in the eye. She decided immediately to get right to the point. He obviously wasn't in the mood for subtlety. "I can't help but notice you're much angrier with Duncan than you are with Serena. Why, Adam?"

Her question caught him off-guard. For a moment, he stood rock still, meeting her gaze as a thousand thoughts and feelings rushed through him. Adora watched as the emotions skirted across his face. Her brow furrowed in confusion and surprise when the anger disappeared, replaced by a deep sadness. "Adam?" she pressed softly.

Adam turned and walked over to the window. He leaned his right forearm against the windowpane, then placed his forehead on his arm as he gazed out into the darkening sky.

"I've only known Serena for about a year," he said hoarsely, his throat tight with emotion. "It's easy to excuse someone you don't know so well."

Adora's face scrunched as she tried to figure out her brother's words. "What do you mean?"

"Duncan has known me my entire life," Adam said without moving. His jaw tightened, and a muscle started to twitch. "He has known that it was my destiny to be He-Man since before even I knew. He has taught me, guided me, practically raised me." He straightened and faced his sister. "Then he betrayed me." At Adora's gasp, he amended his statement. "That wording may be a little strong, but that's what it feels like, Adora." She started to ask him a question, but he cut her off. "I need some rest, sis. It's been a long day."

_I thought you all deserved a tame ending to this chapter after I was so mean last time. LOL! Catch you next week!_


	10. Chapter 10: Duncan's Mistake

_A/N: This one's a little shorter than usual out of necessity. Hope you enjoy it anyway!_

* * *

Adam's tension the next morning made Teela nervous. She wasn't sure if he wasn't happy that Lana and Duncan were waiting for them in Myrna, or he suspected that something had happened between her and Beau. _Not that anything happened,_ she reminded herself. Still, she felt a little guilty anyway.

Beau arrived to see them off, and managed to corner Teela for a few seconds. "I am sorry for speaking out of turn yesterday," he said solemnly, taking in her tension. "Still friends?" He stuck out his hand, and after a few seconds, Teela took it and smiled at him.

"Friends," she agreed. Together they turned and walked towards the wind raider, a careful distance between them. "How's the head?" His eyes still looked a little glazed to her.

"It'll be all right," he answered with a shrug. "And your arm?"

Teela chuckled. "Adam and my father were overreacting, as usual. It wasn't much of a cut. I only needed four stitches."

"Only?" Beau teased as they reached Adam. The prince had watched the exchange with a mixture of jealousy and relief. He could tell that there was tension there, and he didn't like it, but he had a feeling Teela had already put Beau in his place.

"You know us warriors," Teela joked back. "Four stitches is nothing. Right, Adam?" She slipped her left arm into his right one.

Adam raised an eyebrow and kissed the tip of her nose. "One stitch on you is too many," he told her tenderly. "I don't like you getting hurt." Teela's face blushed lightly at the flood of warmth and love those words brought.

"We'll see you again in a few days, I'm guessing," Adam said to Beau, sticking out his hand.

Beau returned the handshake firmly, looking almost pleadingly at the prince. "I'll look forward to getting to know you better," he said to Adam, his words clearly meant for him alone. Adam grinned at the younger man in understanding.

"So did you and Beau have a fight, or did you accuse him of being the Specter?" Adam asked Teela casually just after they took off in the wind raider.

Teela chuckled at Adam's question, knowing he wasn't mad if he was joking with her. "He said something yesterday he shouldn't have," she admitted. "But he had hit his head pretty hard, and apparently his brain wasn't entirely in control of his mouth." "Something you have complete and utter sympathy for," Adam added with a lopsided smile. Teela punched him lightly in the arm. "Hey, no hitting the pilot," he teased her. His grin faded quickly, though, as he threw her a sideways glance. "Is Duncan here to drag me home?"

Teela straightened up at the unexpected shift in topic. "If he were, wouldn't he have done it yesterday?" she asked reasonably.

"So you don't know," Hawk observed from the back seat.

"No, I don't," Teela admitted, a bit heatedly.

"How much longer to Myrna?" Adora interrupted, trying to avert the battle she sensed brewing.

"It's not far. We'll be able to see it after we cross Lone Mountain," Adam answered.

"That would be the one that almost crushed us yesterday?" Hawk asked, his tone dry.

"That's the one," Adam replied, his own voice holding a note of false cheerfulness. There was silence as they flew over, the metal of the track glinting in the sunlight. Beau had planned to go retrieve the vehicle today, if it was even possible. The evidence of the rockslide was obvious.

"It was huge," Teela breathed. "How on Eternia did we survive that?"

_By my grace._

Adam glanced around automatically, but knew he would not find anyone around. This was a voice he hadn't heard in quite some time. One he didn't even have a name for. The others chattered on, but Adam didn't hear them.

_What do you want?_ He thought as if he were talking to Serena. But the presence was gone. Too late, Adam remembered Serena's suggestion that he respond that he was listening. He shrugged mentally as they drew near Myrna. He had a feeling that the being would try again.

* * *

In contrast to Bereathia's smooth polished gray stone, Myrna's was a darker, harder gray rock. It was harder work to cut the stones, and the masons didn't like to work with it because it was impossible to polish. As a result, the buildings in Myrna were more angular and blocky-looking. Wood was more commonly used because of the abundance of trees in the vicinity. The overall feel was less wealthy than Bereathia, a more rustic, salt-of-Eternia sense.

Adam realized with a start that he had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he had missed Rock Haven as they flew over. Not a good sign for the pilot, he realized ruefully, although he was also grateful for missing it. Still, he'd better pay closer attention. Fortunately, he landed the wind raider without mishap.

"Prince Adam, Princess Adora!" Hutch greeted them enthusiastically with a deep bow. Even Hawk couldn't help but appreciate the warmth of their welcome after a week in Sully's castle. After straightening, Hutch gave Adam a strong handshake. "We so appreciate you coming. This Specter fellow is quite out of control." He frowned, his hazel eyes darkening slightly. "Man-at-Arms told me that it is possible the villain is even after the two of you." He raised a strawberry-blond eyebrow questioningly.

Adora had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Hutch was a large, well-muscled man, and quite imposing, but he also had shaggy strawberry-blond hair and a beard that was a good two inches long, and even his eyebrows were longer than a normal person's. She couldn't help but think of him as a teddy bear—a shaggy teddy bear. He caught the twinkle in her eye and grinned at her unexpectedly, causing a warm flush to creep up her neck. Hawk saw the look and frowned.

"Well, it is a possibility," Adam acknowledged with a slight frown of his own. He caught sight of Duncan and Lana coming up behind Hutch, and fell silent.

"Nasty engineers of evil," Hutch muttered. Hawk must have looked surprised, because the baron hastened to add, "I've known Adam my entire life, Sir Sea Hawk. He's the closest thing I have to a brother."

"That's true," Adam added almost absently. "Hutch doesn't have much family." His gaze rested on Duncan as Hutch talked with them about the room arrangements. Because of the small size of the castle and the fact that there were other visitors, Hawk, Duncan, and Adam would be staying in the same room. Adora and Teela would be in a room adjoining Lana's.

As they brought their bags into their rooms, Adam took a cursory look around, just enough to notice the furniture was a light red wood to contrast against the dark stone, and that it was quite beat up. Hutch didn't seem to put much effort into keeping things up. The off-white comforter, rug, and curtains looked as if they had once been completely white. Hawk prowled about the room as he had in Bereathia, Duncan alternately watching in approval and glancing at Adam apprehensively.

There was a knock at the door almost before they had set down their bags. Adam opened the door to find Lana there.

"May I have a word with you, Prince Adam?" she asked formally. Adam nodded and followed her to her room where they could speak in private. She closed the door carefully and turned sharply.

"I've missed you, Adam," Lana said reproachfully, going on the attack right away. "I had thought our friendship meant more to you than it seems to."

Guilt plagued Adam; he hadn't seen Lana since the engagement party. "You're not exactly easy to get a hold of anymore," he said a bit defensively. "It used to be I could hold a conversation with you at any time. Now _she's_ the one in my head."

Lana hid a smile with difficulty. Adam's words actually pleased her. She knew he was getting along fine with Serena for the most part, and it was nice to know he missed talking with her at a moment's notice. Her voice reflected none of this, however, as she challenged him. "I don't live that far from the palace."

Adam paced a little, his footsteps echoing off of the bare walls. "I've been busy," he muttered.

"More busy than when you were pulling double-duty as prince and hero?" she retorted. Her enjoyment of cornering him was tempered only by her concern for him. "Adam." She waited for him to stop and look her in the eye. "I know Duncan took your sword, though I don't know why. And I know you've been avoiding me. I assume it is all connected. What is going on?"

Adam's mouth dropped open slightly. "I thought he told you," he admitted.

"Duncan told me nothing," Lana said, growing tense. "I know only that he had taken it to Grayskull. He kept your secret, whatever it might be, as he always has, Prince Adam."

"I thought I told you to drop the title," he said irritably.

"You're avoiding the question," Lana admonished him.

Adam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Apparently the events of the last few years have taken more of toll than I realized," he admitted heavily, suddenly looking tired. "I'm having nightmares of Rock Haven, Hordak, Teela, Skeletor…" He didn't have to get more specific. Lana knew all he'd been through. "Worse, I'm having flashbacks as well."

"Flashbacks?" Lana asked in alarm.

"Almost," Adam admitted. "I zone out and re-live it in my mind. Thankfully I don't actually act it out."

Teelana let out a string of curse words that made Adam's eyes grow round. "Sorceress!" he gasped.

_What?_

_Not you! I meant Teelana. _He swore he could hear Serena sniff in his mind as she withdrew. _Sorry! _he called out to her, but he doubted she heard.

"I'm sorry, Adam," Lana said, reddening. "But apparently Serena is not yet aware of all the Power Sword is meant for."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked, dread growing in his chest.

"The champion of Grayskull is witness to horrible things, Adam. Things that might drive a normal person insane. He is also the object of torture and assassination attempts. As long as the sword was in your possession, its magic helped you to deal with the weight of those evils." She shook her head as Adam stared at her, stunned. "You began having those dreams and flashbacks as you were recovering because you did not have your sword. Had Duncan given you your sword back immediately, they may have stopped altogether."

"May have?" Adam echoed.

Lana nodded. "I am not entirely sure. But now it's too late."

There was a tone of distress in her voice that went beyond a temporary absence of his sword. Adam's heart rate doubled. "Why?"

"Once the sword is at Grayskull, only you can reclaim it," Lana explained. "And Grayskull's magic is very demanding of its champion, Adam. If you try to claim it before you are completely well, the magic will reject you, and He-Man will be no more."

* * *

"Are you serious?" Adora asked, her eyes wide. There was a deathly still silence in the room the men were sharing. Duncan was as white as Spirit's coat after a bath. Hawk simply stared at Adam, trying to gauge how his friend was handling this news. Teela, seated on a bed, felt as stunned as Adora sounded, and kept looking from Adam to her mother.

Lana glanced at Adam, who was standing as still as Mount Eternia, his arms crossed and his face carefully blank. He had insisted that they tell the others immediately, since they all knew about the flashbacks already.

"I'm afraid it's true," Lana said, her melodious voice carrying a sorrowful note. "Adam cannot claim the sword until he is completely recovered." She didn't have to add that they had no way of knowing if that would even happen. They all knew soldiers who had had flashbacks for the rest of their lives after having fought in wars, and Adam had endured far more than many of them.

"But I don't understand," Hawk interjected. "Teela, Duncan, Adora, you—you've all been through a lot. We all know Adam's a strong person. So why would he be so dependent on the sword's magic to help him?"

"The sword gives the bearer incredible power," Lana began. Teela barely refrained from huffing at this obvious statement. Lana sensed it and quirked a silencing eyebrow at the captain. "Because of that, the one chosen must be someone who will not abuse it. That is usually someone who does not want the power, who detests fighting. Adam is such a person." Teela and Duncan nodded in understanding. Hawk glanced at his friend once again, slightly surprised that Adam disliked fighting so strongly.

"To take someone and force them to do something that is so against who they are as a person wears them down," Lana concluded. "The sword's magic protected Adam's heart, in a way. It is his greatest strength, but even a person's strength can be turned against him." She smiled sadly at Adam, who was still motionless.

"It's like burnout," Hawk thought aloud.

Lana nodded. "Precisely."

There was another long silence. The tension was oppressive. Duncan opened his mouth but couldn't get a word out. He closed it again and waited for the prince to speak. Adam could feel the gazes upon him like weights. He didn't look at anyone as he spoke. "I just wanted you all to know up front," he said, his voice almost a monotone in his effort to keep his feelings under control. "Now excuse me, please. I need to clear my head."

"Adam," Duncan said. Adam stopped in mid-turn and waited, not meeting his mentor's eyes. "I'm sorry, lad. Really sorry. I didn't know."

Adam clenched his fists at his sides and still didn't look at Man-at-Arms. "I know that, Duncan," he said in a low voice, instantly changing his mind about going for a walk. "Would you all excuse us for a minute, please?"

* * *

Teela cast worried glances over her shoulder as she returned to her room with her mother.

"Do you really think they'll work it out?" she asked for the fourth time as she began to unpack her clothes.

"Of course they will, Teela," Lana reassured her again. "They have been friends for too long to let this come between them."

"Yeah, but Adam's…" Teela stopped as she sought the words to describe him.

"Angry. Hurt." Lana paused as well. "But he will forgive your father, Teela. In the meantime, you can still love them both. Adam would never ask you to choose sides."

"I know." Teela finished pulling out clothes and shoved her bag under the bed, past the faded pink-and-green flowered bedspread that brushed the floor. She gave a small, sad smile as she sat down on the bed. "He hasn't said one word about how angry he is with Father. I just knew because I know Adam. He was trying so hard not to put me in the middle."

"Adam is very special person," Lana pointed out. "Not every man would do that for the woman he loves."

Teela nodded wordlessly, then cleared her throat. "So what brought you up here, anyway?"

"Duncan did," Lana admitted. "He came to talk to me about Adam, and I decided that it had been too long since I had spoken to Adam. He was avoiding me."

"He didn't want anyone to know about those flashbacks," Teela acknowledged with a slightly bitter tone. "Not even me."

Lana sat down next to her daughter. "You're angry with him over that."

Teela shrugged carelessly. "It's hard for me to trust him completely, Mother, knowing that he kept his secret as He-Man from me for so long, and then the secret about you. I know that his duty required him to do it, but I feel mixed up about the whole thing. I love him for being so honorable. I'm humbled that he loves me. But the fact that he can hide something from me so easily…." She sighed, the sound coming from the center of her being. "I thought I was over it, but when I found out that he kept another secret from me, I realized it still bothers me."

"Teela, loving someone means that you accept the good and the bad," Lana said gently. "No one is perfect, not even He-Man, in spite of the fact that you had him on a pedestal in your mind for many years. Trust doesn't mean that you think the other person will never make a mistake. It means that you know in your heart that person will never intentionally hurt you. Adam may hide things from you, but do you trust him not to do anything to hurt you?"

"Of course," Teela said, her eyes filling with tears.

"Then that is what matters, my daughter," Lana informed her.

* * *

Duncan felt as if he were waiting for the firing squad as the others quickly filed out, exchanging silent glances filled with worry. He expected Adam to be angry, even furious with him. He didn't expect the raw pain and emotion he saw as the prince finally turned to him.

"I'm not angry with you for taking the sword to Grayskull, Duncan," he said roughly. "I thought you should know that."

"So why are you angry with me, then?" Duncan asked, almost hesitantly. He wasn't sure he should push Adam at all right now.

Adam's temper flared briefly. "Because you didn't trust me," he snapped. He took a deep breath, trying to rein in his emotions.

"Adam, you're not completely in control when you have a flashback. If they'd gotten worse-" Duncan broke off as Adam interrupted.

"Don't you think I know that?" he almost yelled. Breathing hard, he stared at Duncan with a mix of pain and anger. He lowered his voice with an effort. "Don't you think I know I could have hurt someone? That I still could? That's not the point, Duncan. The point is, you did it without talking to me. You didn't trust me to make the right decision. You, the person who knows me better than anyone on Eternia."

Duncan realized with a flash of insight and heartbreak exactly what he had done to Adam. It was very likely that the prince normally would have had the inner fortitude to get through these flashbacks, but by taking the sword without discussing it with Adam, Duncan had dealt an unwitting blow to Adam's self-confidence. The fact that Serena had sided with him must have made it even worse. They had treated Adam like a child.

His legs suddenly gave way as he realized the enormity of the consequences of his actions. He sat heavily on a chair, shoulders and head bowed. Adam was next to him almost immediately.

"Duncan, are you all right?" he asked, worry in his voice and eyes.

"Ancients, Adam, I'm so sorry," Duncan said quietly. "You're absolutely right. I was so worried about your health I didn't stop to think it through. I feared you wouldn't agree, and would hurt yourself or someone else. I should have known better. Can you ever forgive an old fool?" Adam didn't answer immediately, and Man-at-Arms lifted his head just in time to catch the hesitation on the prince's face. Then Adam clasped Duncan's forearm and pulled him to his feet.

"Of course I can. That's what friends do," he said with a small smile. There was a lingering sadness in Adam's eyes and voice, but Duncan's heart lightened somewhat.

"We'll get through this, Adam," the old warrior promised, still holding Adam's forearm firmly and looking steadily at the prince. "Together."


	11. Chapter 11: Memories

Hutch's castle, unlike Sully's, was set on a hill a short distance from the town. There was a thick forest lining the road, a mixture of light-colored evergreens and deciduous trees with broad, dark green leaves. The trees were draped with woody vines covered in dark red oval leaves with jagged edges. The trees grew high, tall and thick, the brown of their bark barely visible behind the foliage that crowded the road. Small unruly bushes were scattered amidst the trees filling every clear patch of earth. It felt as if they were passing through a strange shifting hallway with sky as the roof, a passage perfect for an ambush, Hawk couldn't help but note as he and Adora walked. Their feet crunched on the gravel that had been laid in an attempt to even out the rocky road, Hawk's gait slightly uneven due to the large bruise on his leg from the crash the day before.

"I never realized Adam hated to fight," Hawk said. "I knew he didn't care for it, but…"

"He hopes every fight will be his last," Adora said with a small smile. She sighed. "It's ironic that he wants his sword back when he feels that way, really. But for him, it's all about protecting the innocent."

There was an odd note in her voice Hawk couldn't place. "And you?" he asked quietly, reaching for her hand.

Adora shook her head slightly as she squeezed his hand. "I was raised differently than Adam; I was trained to fight. At heart, I don't want to, but it's all I've ever known." Her blue eyes grew troubled as she added, "And in a way, I feel as if it is penance for all the evil I've done in my life."

"You never talk much about your time in the Horde," Hawk commented gently.

Adora lowered her head slightly. "I'm not proud of it, Hawk," she answered.

"But it wasn't your fault they kept you under a spell," he pointed out.

Adora smiled at him. "You and Adam keep pointing that out, and maybe I'll believe it someday. I know it, really, but some days…" Her voice trailed off.

"You said Hordak kept you from knowing that the Horde was evil," Hawk recalled innocently. He wanted to better understand this woman he had asked to marry him. He knew she was strong, good, and loving, but he knew very little about her past. "How did that work, Adora? Did you just not know the difference between right and wrong?"

Adora's chin went up slightly. "No, my caretaker, Shakra, was careful to teach me what was good and what was evil. And once those lessons were learned, Hordak never could convince me that I should do something evil. He tried though." Her voice nearly broke on the last sentence.

"What happened?" Hawk asked.

"He wanted me to run a simple errand in a nearby town," Adora said, leaning into him as they walked up a hill. "The thing was, he wanted a particular item—I don't even remember what it was—and he didn't plan on paying for it. When I asked him for the money, he told me not to worry about it, that I was to tell the storekeeper it was for Hordak personally, and if that didn't work, to just take it anyway." She swallowed hard. "I worried over it the whole way there. The storekeeper didn't believe a ten-year-old girl, of course. He refused to give it to me. Hordak expected me to follow his order and simply take it; I had enough training to be able to do so. He turned nearly purple when I returned empty-handed."

Hawk dropped his arm slightly so that his hand rested on Adora's shoulder, and he rubbed it lightly as she continued. "He swore at me up and down, hit me several times, and said that I was to do whatever necessary to fulfill his orders. He knocked me down when he hit me, and I stood back up, crying, and told him that I would never commit an evil act such as stealing."

Fury raced through Hawk at the thought of Hordak hitting a ten-year-old girl. "That scum-sucking barnacle waste," he hissed. Adora smiled slightly at his immediate support. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Hawk could ask a question without growling. "What did Hordak do then?"

Adora gave a small huff. "That was the first time I openly defied him. I guess that and the fact that hitting me hadn't gotten through to me sort of made him realize that in spite of his efforts to raise me to be evil, he wasn't going to be able to change who I was. He sent me away for a while, to Beast Island, for 'training.'" Hawk narrowed his eyes at the sarcasm in her tone. Adora wrapped her arms around her midsection, but didn't leave Hawk's embrace. "When I returned to the Fright Zone, I never heard another word about the Horde doing anything evil. Everything was worded differently, focused on the Horde being the rightful rulers of Etheria, being benevolent, caring…" her voice trailed off. "All lies. And he began forcing those lies to be taught in schools all over Etheria. My defiance caused him to try to brainwash an entire generation."

"But it didn't work as well as he'd hoped," Hawk deduced.

"No, it didn't," Adora confirmed thankfully. "Light Hope's magic helped keep the truth burning in most of the children's hearts. But even his magic couldn't protect me from Shadow Weaver's spells, which were strengthened during my time at Beast Island. By the time I left there, I believed that the rebels were the ones who were evil." Her voice dropped. "Worse, I believed that it was acceptable, even right, to enslave those who opposed the Horde."

Hawk's mind raced rapidly over her words. He had a thousand questions, and he wasn't sure he should ask any of them. He stopped walking and pulled her closer to him. Adora nestled against his chest, focusing on the here and now and reminding herself it was over.

"Tell me about Beast Island," Hawk's voice rumbled in her ear.

Adora froze. She hated thinking about that month. It had been much worse than she was disclosing. Hawk rubbed her back lightly. "Adora, nothing you say can change the way I feel about you," he said softly. "I just want to understand what you've been through."

* * *

Adora didn't speak for a moment, then she began to tell the full story in a faltering voice. "Hordak was furious, like I said…"

"No one disobeys me, Adora," Hordak snarled at her. The young girl trembled at the ferocity in his voice and his glowing red eyes. "You will pay for your disobedience."

The evil ruler grabbed her by one arm and half-dragged her out of the throne room. She had no idea of what he might be about to do, but she was terrified. Adora began to cry, "Please don't hurt me. Where are we going?" Suddenly Shakra appeared out of nowhere.

"Lord Hordak, what are you doing with Adora?" she demanded. She landed a restraining hand on his arm.

"Silence, you hag!" he roared at her, shoving her roughly out of the way. "I'm sure this is all your fault." The older woman fell against the wall, and slid down, as limp as a rag doll.

"Shakra!" Adora screamed, sobbing aloud now. Hordak's hand was squeezing her arm terribly, and she had never been so frightened of him.

"Shut up," he growled at her. "After some time on Beast Island, you will never dare defy me again, Adora."

"Beast Island?" Adora gasped, horrified. She started struggling, pulling back and trying to wiggle out of his grasp. She'd never been out of the Fright Zone before, but she had heard stories of how the criminals who went there were put into cells all alone, and sometimes bad things happened to them. She didn't know the specifics; the adults usually kept quiet about it.

They reached the launch pad, where Shadow Weaver was already waiting. Hordak roughly shoved Adora in to a seat on his personal ship. "Stay there," he snarled. Adora gingerly held her sore arm, sobbing quietly, and didn't dare move as the ship rose into the air.

* * *

"By the time we got to Beast Island, a lot of the fight had gone out of me," Adora admitted, tears pooling in her eyes. "I was put into a cell cut off from everyone I knew—the few friends I had, Shakra, even Hordak and Shadow Weaver—for a whole week." She took a shuddering breath, recalling the small barren square room of cold stone. There hadn't been a bed, just a hard bench with one worn blanket. There was only a tiny window high up to allow minimal light in, and the door to the cell had been solid except for a slot through which her food had been delivered twice each day. The stark surroundings had been depressing enough, but she'd even had to relieve herself in the same room in which she slept. Adora rubbed her fingertips, recalling the bruises and cuts she'd had from clawing at loose rocks in a futile attempt to find an escape.

"An entire week?" Hawk asked in horror. "A ten-year-old girl?" His arms tightened around her, and he blinked back the tears burning in his own eyes.

"It was devastating," she whispered. "When Shadow Weaver returned, I ran to her. I didn't care that she'd been one of the ones who put me in there. I just wanted contact with someone." In hindsight, Adora realized that Weaver had probably cast some sort of additional spell at the moment she had hugged her, to bind her to the witch and Hordak further. At the time, though, all Adora had known was that she was ready to do almost anything to return to her "family" in the Fright Zone. Anything was better than the isolation.

"After that initial hug, Shadow Weaver withheld any physical display of affection," Adora continued quietly. "We spent three weeks together, where she gave me intense instruction—brainwashing, I know now. She showed me how the people were uncultured and primitive before the Horde arrived. How the technology had helped them. She showed me images of past battles where the rebels had destroyed homes, and killed thousands of Hordesmen. Then she showed me images of Hordak helping people, and dozens of attempts on Hordak's life. Once I had accepted it all, we returned to the Fright Zone."

"By the First Ones," Hawk whispered. He was unconsciously rubbing Adora's back now. "I wish Hordak were alive so I could kill him myself." Adora winced, thinking he wouldn't appreciate knowing she still loved Hordak anyway, in spite of the way the villain had treated her. "What happened when you got back?"

"I was desperate for someone's love and approval," Adora answered, her voice hoarse and low. "I did whatever I could to please Hordak. I outfought every other warrior in training, aced all of my exams, and never questioned him again." She smiled mirthlessly against Hawk's chest. "But I was still honest, and I still refused to harm others. Only now I thought that was something that was also true of the Horde itself." Unknown to Adora, it was at this point Hordak gave up on trying to change her, and simply focused on building her loyalty to him in small and large ways.

The two of them held each other for a long time. Hawk couldn't bear to ask her anymore; he wasn't sure she could handle telling it, and he knew he couldn't handle hearing it. His anger against Hordak had never been so strong. He could tell Adora didn't harbor that same anger, but he knew someone who had. For now, Hawk let the silence grow as he tried to absorb what she had revealed. It was the most Adora had ever told him about her time with the Horde, and he suspected that there was more she wasn't quite ready to share. Maybe a lot more.

* * *

Miro swore under his breath, then immediately apologized to the Ancients. He limped over to a fallen log and sat down heavily, propping his foot up quickly. Of all the times to catch his foot on a root and twist his ankle. He ground his teeth in frustration. It might even be sprained. He listened carefully, hoping he could hear the gurgle of water that would lead him to a cold stream to dunk it in.

At the sound of the familiar screech, he looked up in surprise. He hadn't seen the falcon in a few days. He had thought he was beyond her territory. She settled on a tree branch less than twenty feet from him.

"I've done it this time," he told her, slowly heaving his leg off of the log. "Randor has asked me again and again to carry a communicator with me. I kept putting him off, not wanting him to be able to track me down, and now, when I desperately need to get back to the palace-" He broke of and gestured to his ankle with frustration.

"I should have called for a ride," he admitted, frustration clear as he ran a hand through his white hair. "But no, I wanted time to think through this whole thing." He shook his head. "Adam getting Lady Amanda pregnant. I don't know what to think about that." The falcon screeched as if in indignation, and Miro stopped, a slightly amused smile on his lips at the sight of her feathers puffing out. He had to admit to himself that he didn't know his grandson all that well. His first inclination was to defend Adam, but…Miro shook his head. He had seen many men, whether good, wise, or strong…many of them had succumb to a woman's charms. He didn't know Adam well enough to know if that could be the case, but if he was any judge of character, the rumor wasn't true. He certainly hoped it wasn't.

Miro glanced up at the falcon. "I don't suppose you can point me to a nice cold stream, can you?"

To his surprise, the falcon shrieked twice, then flew a short distance into another tree, turned, and waited. When he didn't move right away, she screeched again, shifting her weight from foot to foot impatiently. Miro shrugged. "Well, the last time I followed you I found another clue to my son's whereabouts, so I guess I'll try following you again."

* * *

"Has everyone gotten settled in their rooms?" Hutch asked cheerfully, his hazel eyes sparkling. Hawk resisted the urge to cringe. The man's constant upbeat nature really grated on his nerves.

"Yes, thank you," Adam replied for all of them. He was more mentally at ease that evening than he had been in quite some time. He hadn't realized how much his resentment had built up. Physically, however, he was sore everywhere, as he was sure most of the others must be as well. Hawk, he noticed, had been limping slightly on the leg that had been trapped the day before. Adam suspected the leg was more tender than the pirate was willing to admit. Only Adora, healed by her sword, was no worse for their mishap. _We should have had She-Ra heal us all,_ Adam thought ruefully. _We'd be a sorry lot if the Specter decided to attack._

The hall in which they sat had clearly seen better days. Small cracks were appearing in the walls. The light redwood table before them was full of nicks and scratches. Faded paintings of long-gone noblemen adorned the dark gray walls. Yet the overall atmosphere was cheerful. Hutch's few servants seemed far happier than those at Duke Sully's castle. They joked with their master, clearly enjoying their relationship with him rather than scurrying about, waiting for a sharp word. Overall, though the conditions were less suitable, the group found the baron's home far more welcoming.

"Baron Hutch, Sully's son Beau showed us cave that he said was actually a network of caves, running through the mountains," Teela said, getting right to business. "Do you think it's possible the Specter is using them as a base for his operations?"

Hutch nodded immediately, flushing red. "I must be a fool for not thinking of it before, but that would make perfect sense. No one would dare go after him in there." He muttered under his breath to himself, "Daft dimwit."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Duncan asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Eh? Oh, nothing, just frustrated with myself for not considering that before, Man-at-Arms," Hutch hurriedly explained. "I could have taken a party there and investigated, rather than dragging you all out here. Although I am glad of a chance to get to see you all again, I seem to have made you targets of some kind." His gaze lingered on Adora, and Hawk tensed.

"It's nothing we haven't dealt with before," Adam replied lightly. He caught Hawk's glower and nudged the pirate with his foot. "Hawk and Adora had an interesting conversation with a few folks back in Bereathia. Have you ever heard of the Specter giving away the money he steals?"

Hutch laughed. "That's a good one, Adam."

Adam didn't crack a smile. "I'm serious, Hutch."

The baron stared at him in disbelief. "You are?"

"Yes," Adora chimed in. "We came across two people who had devastating circumstances, and without some kind soul dropping off money just in time, they would have lost everything."

Hutch shook his head. "I've not heard anything like that here in Myrna, and believe me, the people could use it. This ground is no good for farming, except for over in Rock Haven, and mining is uncertain work. There are times when we hit a lode and life is good, but when we've gone a long stretch as we have the last few years…" He shrugged. "I'm sure you can see for yourself the results," he added with a careless wave of his hand. For the first time, his voice lost some of its cheerfulness, taking on an almost wistful tone.

"I see," Adam said slowly as he took in what Hutch indicated, which was the entire room as well as the meal before them. There was enough for everyone there, but certainly not the bountiful variety they were used to at the palace. And, Adam realized for the first time, the meat was a type of venison, which would be in plentiful supply in this area regardless of the time of year. "Hutch, I believe Duncan may have an invention that could be of use to you. It would take him some time to construct it, but it could make several areas of Myrna suitable for farming."

Duncan realized the prince was referring to the rock softener he had developed several years ago. After Evil-Lyn had tried to use it on the walls of Castle Grayskull, they had locked up both the prototype and the plans. The prototype was no longer usable. But with Skeletor, Evil-Lyn and many of the other evil villains defeated, it might be safe to build a new one.

"Yes, I think Adam's right," he said slowly. "It would take some time, but we could have some land ready for the next planting season."

Hutch grinned, his white teeth gleaming between his mustache and beard. "That would be wonderful, my friends!" he exclaimed.

"And in the meantime, if you need anything for your people, let me know," Adam added.

Hutch leaned back in his chair and beamed at everyone. "And my mother said a questionable friendship with the prince would never pay off," he joked.

Adam chuckled. "I remember that!"

"Care to clue the rest of us in?" Adora asked, her curiosity piqued by her brother's laughter.

Adam shook his head, reddening slightly. "Not really, sis."

"Oh, come now, Prince Adam, it wasn't your fault you were led astray by a conniving older nobleman," Hutch ribbed him. Adam held up his hands.

"Oh no. I haven't told a soul in thirteen years, I'm not going to do it now. We promised each other," Adam said. Guilt was all over his face.

Hutch waved a hand. "Adam, really, a promise made that long ago, don't be ridiculous." Adam and Teela exchanged smirks. "Besides, I had my fingers crossed."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Hawk muttered under his breath. Hutch didn't hear him.

"Let's see, I was seventeen, and you were what, just barely twelve?" Hutch asked Adam. Adam shook his head again.

"To quote an old saying of my mother's, Hutch, I'm pleading the fifth."

"Your mother and her sayings," the baron grumbled with a grin on his face. "She's more fun to listen to than a symphony orchestra."

Adora laughed. "I'll tell her you said that, Hutch." The baron flashed his teeth at her again. Hawk crossed his arms, feeling decidedly belligerent.

"As I was saying," Hutch continued, "Adam and I were bored to tears. Man-at-Arms had banned us from his workshop, Cringer was refusing to come near me, and the future captain Teela was busy training." He winked at her, and Teela found herself blushing.

_He's an incorrigible flirt,_ Hawk thought, frowning darkly. Adam kicked him under the table again, and Hawk arranged his face into a more pleasant look—after throwing the prince a sour glance. Adam grinned, though he was still a bit pink. The promise had been between Hutch and himself, and it was before they had been caught, so there really wasn't a reason to keep it a secret any more. But while the whole thing still struck his funny bone, he felt guilty about it as well.

"Anyway," Hutch continued grandly, "Adam had figured out how to make a great present, but he hadn't actually given it to anyone yet." Adam snickered at his description, causing his friends and his sister to look at him with raised eyebrows. The prince gave up trying to stay out of it.

"I figured out how to make a stink bomb that would go off when someone opened a box, but wouldn't actually hurt them," he admitted sheepishly.

Duncan's eyes were as wide as the Eternian moons. He knew exactly where this was going now. "That was you two?" he asked incredulously.

Adam's face flushed again. "'Fraid so, Duncan."

"You did it to my father?" Teela asked in disbelief.

"N-no," Adam answered, nearly choking on his own laughter and embarrassment now.

"We chose our victim much more carefully," Hutch informed them all in a mock-serious tone. "He had to be someone, first of all, that we didn't like. He had to be someone who could be sent away from the palace, because dear Adam came up with a winner—the smell lasted for a whole week."

"Adam!" Adora gasped, her hand going over her mouth. She had heard he was much more mischievous in his youth, but she had no idea he had been this bad. Her brother's face was now redder than when Frosta had draped herself all over He-Man. Even his ears and neck were brightly flushed.

"Furthermore," Hutch continued, "he had to be someone no one else liked either, so if we were discovered, the punishment would be less severe. That left us with only one person." He grinned at Hawk. "Captain Sea Hawk, I bet you're a clever sort at figuring this stuff out. Who would be your guess?"

Hawk narrowed his eyes. Hutch knew he hadn't been on Eternia long enough to know many people. He was picking on him deliberately. "I'd say it was Duke Sully."

"We have a winner!" Hutch announced, his hazel eyes shining with delight. There was a mixture of gasps and laughs.

"I remember that now!" Teela exclaimed. She turned to Adam with an accusatory look on her face. "You never told me that was you!"

He shrugged guiltily. "Hutch and I promised each other we wouldn't tell anyone anything, so even if one of us got caught, the other wouldn't. Unfortunately, Hutch's mother found us laughing right after Sully opened it. We were watching from one of the balconies."

"Ah, but my mother disliked him even more than we did," Hutch said, his voice booming off of the walls as darkness fell and the electric lights came on. "When we owned up to what we'd done, she suddenly had to go to the bathroom."

"She was in there for a really long time," Adam recalled with a lopsided smile. "And there were the strangest noises coming from there."

Hutch laughed outright. "That there were! When she came out, I received a very long lecture about setting an example for younger children and being a true friend to the prince rather than a questionable one. But I swear she had to stop four times to gather herself together again."

Adam shook his head. "We caused some real trouble together, you and I," he said, grinning at Hutch. "And the older we got, the worse we got."

"So what happened to the dangerous duo?" Adora asked wryly, propping her chin in her hand.

"My father died five years ago, and my mother shortly after," Hutch said, his voice sobering for the first time all evening. "I had to get serious." With an effort he straightened up and gave a mock-glare to Adam. "But he got boring first. He turned eighteen and had no time for fun anymore."

Adam grinned and shrugged self-consciously. "We all have to grow up sometime, Hutch. I just had to do it before you."

Hutch chuckled. "And I'm the older one. Well, now, onto other things. What are your plans for the investigation the next few days?"


	12. Chapter 12: Fire & Ghosts

_Many thanks to Little Llama Girl for beta reading, and for suggesting many of the laughs you're about to enjoy!_

* * *

A hand shook her roughly. "Adora, wake up!" Teela insisted harshly.

"What is it?" Adora said, snapping awake. She immediately caught the scent of smoke in the air. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, but there's a fire somewhere," Teela answered, her voice full of worry. "We might need She-Ra."

"I'm on it!" Adora dressed quickly and transformed as Teela woke up her mother. The three of them carefully felt the door leading to the hallway. Feeling no heat, they went into the hallway. Smoke crept out from under the doorway to the men's room.

"Oh no!" She-Ra exclaimed in horror. She kicked in the door a little too hard as fear for her loved ones flooded her. It flew off the hinges, crashing against a dresser clear across the room. The fact that the noise didn't awaken the men only increased her anxiety. There was no fire that she could see, but heavy smoke filled the room. She stumbled across the floor, the smoke burning her eyes. She banged into a chest at the end of one bed, causing it to fly across the room as if she had intentionally kicked it. It slammed into the wall and splintered apart.

"Hawk, wake up! Adam! Duncan!" None of them moved or answered. The smoke tore at her throat; she desperately wanted to cough, but she was afraid it would make it worse. She-Ra suddenly shook her head at her own stupidity and drew her sword. "Sword to mask!" she called, and the sword became a ventilated face mask. She quickly placed it over her head and breathed in the purified air.

"Father! Adam!" Teela screamed frantically, entering the room with Lana. "Get up, now!"

She-Ra reached the bed closest to the window. It was Hawk. She hefted him up onto one shoulder, and lurched to the next bed. The mask was helping her breathe, but she couldn't see anything through the thick gray smoke. She reached down and felt a familiar arm. Desperate to get them out and heal them, she grabbed onto the arm, silently apologizing to Adam for pulling on it as she hauled him out of the bed and flung him over her other shoulder. _Women's shoulders are not made for this,_ she thought as she struggled to balance them. She staggered out of the room, her arms wrapped tightly around the two men. She could barely make out Teela and Lana dragging Duncan out as well. She-Ra unceremoniously dumped Adam and Hawk in the hallway, and pulled off her mask. Teela and Lana dropped Duncan next to the others, and the two of them leaned heavily against the wall.

"I've got to find out where that smoke's coming from," She-Ra told the others, and she went back into the doorway. Taking a deep breath, she blew hard, causing the window on the other side of the room to burst open in a spray of glass. The bedspreads, lamps and rugs took flight and landed against the far wall, the lamps doing so with a resounding crash. The smoke cleared in seconds, but the rush of air also caused a flame to flare up—right under the bed Adam had been in.

She-Ra stared at it for a few seconds, trying to absorb the full meaning of it. Coming to her senses, she strode across the room, then flipped the bed so hard that it landed upside-down on Hawk's bed. There, amidst the flames, were remains of a smolder bomb. She-Ra stomped out the fire, her sharp heel gouging deep holes in the stone floor, then, shaking with both shock and anger, she limped back into the hallway, having broken one of her heels off into the stone floor.

"She-Ra, what is it?" Lana asked almost frantically. She couldn't believe how upset the warrior woman looked.

"I've got to heal them," she said, ignoring Lana's question for the moment. She placed her hands on Hawk and Duncan first. The smoke inhalation had nearly done them in. It took her several minutes to heal them. Then she turned to Adam, biting her lip in worry as she grasped his shoulders. But to her relief, his body seemed to respond better than it had when he'd been injured in Bereathia earlier in the week. He was getting stronger in spite of all their trials this week; she hoped that meant he was also sleeping better.

Once Adam was healed, She-Ra quickly did the same for Lana and Teela, who had also inhaled a small amount of smoke. Then she used her sword to heal herself and turn back into Adora. Then, she finally turned to answer Lana's question.

"This was an attack on Adam's life!" Adora spat out, her eyes fairly sparking in anger.

"I'd say it was an attack on all of them," Lana pointed out a bit dryly.

"There was a smolder bomb right under his bed," Adora argued.

"A smolder bomb!" Teela exclaimed. That explained all of the smoke in the room. As its name implied, the small black globe simply smoldered, producing a great amount of smoke, and eventually caught fire. Perfect for killing a sleeping person, she realized, and if it had caused a full fire, it would have been virtually untraceable.

Adora nodded, her eyes and jaw hard. "This is getting out of hand."

"What's going on?" Hutch's voice came from down the hall. The boom of his voice woke up the other men.

"What are we doing out here?" Duncan asked groggily, putting a hand to his head.

Adam tried to swallow and couldn't. His throat and mouth were as dry as the Sands of Time. "Water," Hawk croaked, echoing Adam's thought.

"Someone tried to use a smolder bomb to kill them," Adora told Hutch succinctly.

Adam climbed to his feet along with the others. "A smolder bomb? But how--?" he asked hoarsely. He leaned against the wall, not feeling quite awake.

"She-Ra showed up in time to save you and healed the damage from the smoke inhalation," Adora broke in, knowing what he was going to say. Adam nodded. That explained the exhaustion.

"This is terrible," Hutch said, visibly upset for the first time since Hawk had known him. "Someone entered my castle and made a direct attack on the royal family! I can't believe this!" He turned with a fist raised as if he were going to punch the wall, only to find himself faced with the gaping opening to the room. His jaw dropped down. "By the grace of Eternia! A smolder bomb did this?"

Adora's face took on a chagrined look. "Actually, that was She-Ra. She was a bit overzealous."

"Is that so?" Adam drawled with a grin in his sister's direction. Adora blushed slightly.

Hutch looked back and forth between the twins, feeling as if he had missed something. Then he spotted a night guard down the hall, apparently attracted by all the commotion. "Tricia! Get these men some water!" She saluted him and disappeared. "Malevolent, mutinous murderers," he muttered to himself. He started pacing back and forth, his feet snapping some of the larger splinters left from the door being kicked in. Adam looked from the splinters to Adora, and a teasing glint entered his eye. She gave him a warning look, and he quickly schooled his face to appear more innocent.

"Well, we can be sure that whoever it was is long gone," Duncan said reasonably. "Hutch," he glanced from the destroyed room, to Adora, and back again, "if there's somewhere else we could sleep until the room airs out and we can get things put back together…"

Hutch stopped and stared at Duncan in disbelief. "You could have died, and you're ready to go back to bed?" he asked, his hazel eyes wide under his shaggy eyebrows.

Adam yawned. "Well, we were unconscious from the smoke, so we missed the most exciting part," he pointed out. "Besides, Hutch, we're pretty used to this sort of thing. There's always someone trying to knock off the royal family." _Or He-Man,_ he added mentally. Hutch's mouth dropped open.

Adora and Hawk exchanged glances. Their adrenaline was still rushing, and they could see that Lana and Teela were also still wide-awake.

"Well, I'm sure I can find something," Hutch muttered half to himself, with another glance at the room. "Looks like a twister went through there, obviously you can't use it. There's the south parlor, not used much…" His voice faded as he tried to work through it.

"Why don't the two of you take our beds for now?" Teela suggested. "I wouldn't be able to sleep now—what about you, Adora?" Her friend shook her head. "We'll stand watch until dawn, and then you can take over." Hutch started to protest, then fell silent as he realized the only other option would be to put the men on couches in the south parlor. The rest of the bedrooms were full.

"Hawk, you can have my room," Lana offered.

The pirate shook his head. "No thanks, Lana. I'm too wound up right now. I'll crash on the floor in a little while." He took a glass from Tricia, who had returned with some water. "Thank you."

Hutch turned to the black-haired woman with a frown. "Who was on duty tonight, Tricia?" There was an iron note to his voice.

The woman took a half-step back. "I was, my lord, with Benson," she answered quietly. "We're short-staffed right now because of the men we lost to The Specter. We're down to two guards per night."

Hutch's face was flushed. "Do you realize what could have happened tonight?" he demanded, his fists clenching.

Tricia's lightly tanned face paled. "Yes, Baron Hutch. I'm terribly sorry."

"Take it easy, Hutch," Adam interjected. "It wasn't her fault."

The baron closed his eyes for a moment, visibly trying to calm himself. "I suppose you're right, Adam. But Tricia, I want more guards added while Prince Adam and Princess Adora are here. And seal up that room until we can examine it in the morning."

"Yes, Baron," she said with a slight bow.

Duncan, Adora, and Teela completed a sweep of the women's rooms, while Adam and Hawk gathered up some of the men's belongings. Hawk chuckled to himself as he picked through the splintered chest upon which his suitcase had sat, trying to locate his clothes. Adam caught his gaze and smirked. The two of them glanced around the room, taking in the upside-down bed, the door and chest splintered against the wall, the fragments of the lamps and knickknacks, and the breeze coming in the open window. Their gazes met and they began laughing together.

After they had gathered their belongings, Adam stopped at the spot where his bed had been and shook his head. It had apparently been a close one. He caught sight of something in the floor and bent down to examine it more closely. He pried it out with his fingers.

"Find something?" Hawk asked, coming back in.

Adam smirked, barely able to contain his laughter. "Oh yeah." Hawk raised an eyebrow at Adam's tone; he sounded delighted. Adam didn't elaborate, but followed Hawk into the other room where everyone, except Hutch, had gathered back together. Adam dropped his clothing unceremoniously on the floor and leaned against the bedpost. "Well sis, I guess we need to talk to the Sorceress about your equipment malfunction." Adora looked up in surprise as Adam held up the heel to her shoe. She blushed furiously as everyone laughed. "I have to say, sis, I've never had any part of my clothing break on me before. How did you manage that?"

Teela came to her friend's defense, though she couldn't hold back a snicker herself. "Those things break way too easily."

"I never understood why you women insist on fighting in those, actually," Hawk interjected.

"It's a way to make us closer to the same height as the men we're fighting, actually," Adora informed him archly. "And heels can be dangerous weapons."

"Seems pretty stupid to me," Hawk muttered, hiding his grin and his words behind his hand.

"I agree," Lana whispered, her green eyes twinkling.

* * *

"I can't believe how easily Duncan and Adam handle all of this," Adora said quietly after everyone else had fallen asleep, shaking her head. "They're so matter-of-fact about it."

"I think it boils down to survival," Teela mused. "Not only is the royal family in almost-constant danger, but with Adam having held his secret for so long, they had to just…get used to it. If He-Man was needed in the middle of the night, Adam couldn't let that affect the rest of his day." She grinned at Adora. "Another few years, and you'll have it down-pat as well."

"I don't know about that," Adora protested with a small smile.

The rest of the night passed slowly. The two women conversed quietly back and forth, sharing their excitement and anxiety over their upcoming weddings—and the subsequent wedding nights—as well as concerns about Adam's health and Hawk's adjustment to Eternia. Adora told Teela how she had first met the pirate, and Teela shared stories of when she and Adam were young. Eventually, Adora found herself beginning to drift off. "I think we'd better trade with the guys," she suggested sleepily. "It's only about a half-hour to dawn."

Teela stretched and nodded. "Sounds good to me. I'm beat," she said with a yawn. She froze as a groan sounded from one of the beds. Her gaze locked with Adora's as Adam's voice reached them. "I will never serve you." Teela's throat closed up. She knew exactly what dream Adam was having.

"Oh, Ancients," she whispered. "He's still dreaming about it, Adora. What do we do?"

_An old man, his body worn with disease, was brought in and thrown at He-Man's feet._

"_Kill him, He-Man," Hordak ordered softly. "Kill him or the woman Teela dies."_

_He-Man's head snapped around to find Teela, horror filling him. To take one life so that she could live…he wanted to. _

"_Please," the man whispered, forcing He-Man to recognize him as a person. The man's black eyes were pools of pain. Whether he was asking for a quick death or help, He-Man couldn't tell. The temptation was strong. One life to save Teela's…but where would it end?_

"Adam! Adam, wake up!" Teela urged him. He was tossing restlessly. "Adam, it's just a dream!"

_Hearing a voice, He-Man looked around, but Teela was staring wordlessly at him now. Whatever he had just heard must have been his imagination. His attention returned to Hordak._

"_No," he said hoarsely. He dropped the sword and took an involuntary step backwards, his eyes never leaving Teela's. She smiled and nodded once at him, telling him without words that she understood._

"_I'm sorry, Teela," he said, not sure if she could hear him._

"_It's okay," she replied, her voice wavering slightly. She swallowed hard._

"Adam, wake up! It's a dream! Hordak's dead. Teela's right here, and she's fine!" Adora said urgently.

_He-Man tilted his head to the side. "Adora?" He cast his gaze about, confused._

"_Are you really going to let me kill her?" Hordak questioned, regaining He-Man's attention as he stood and came down the stairs from his throne. "Any fool can see you love her. Yet you're going to sacrifice her for this pathetic old man who is so sick he is about to die anyway?"_

"_Don't listen to him," Teela cried._

"_I won't take a life, Hordak," He-Man said, his resolve strong even as his heart broke. He told Teela with his eyes how much he loved her. Her eyes filled with tears, but her smile never wavered._

"_Say farewell, then," Hordak said carelessly. There was an explosion that knocked Marlena and Randor to the floor. Only a blackened mark on the floor showed where Teela had been standing._

"_No!" _

The anguished cry tore from Adam's mouth, the horror and disbelief rushing through him all over again as he re-lived it. Slowly he became conscious of Teela's voice speaking to him, one hand on his bare shoulder, the other stroking his face over and over. He jerked into a sitting position and clung to her, tears streaming down his cheeks. His cry had woken Duncan and Hawk, but at the moment he didn't care. All he could think about was Teela's safety. _Oh, Ancients, how do I keep her safe? _Teela held him tightly, her eyes squeezed shut in a vain attempt to hold back her own tears.

Duncan blinked hard and clenched his jaw. He had done this to Adam. He heard a soft noise, and looked over to see Lana in her pink nightgown gazing at him sympathetically. Then she turned back into her room, knowing Adam wasn't going to like everyone witnessing his emotional display. Duncan got up and pulled his armor on. Hawk, taking his cue from this, also began to dress for the day.

"I think the women would appreciate some sleep, Adam," Duncan said quietly, without looking at the prince.

Adam swallowed hard. "Right," he said hoarsely. With that, the Crown Prince pulled himself together and gently released Teela. There was an uncomfortable silence as he got dressed, kissed his fiancée tenderly on the forehead, and left the room. Hawk motioned to Duncan, and the old warrior nodded. Hawk followed Adam out, leaving Man-at-Arms and Lana to guard the two women.

* * *

"There's no shame in it, you know," Hawk told Adam firmly as they looked around their room. The smell of smoke hung heavily in the air.

"In what?" Adam asked, feigning ignorance. He leaned out the window, trying to get a look at the wall around it. They had yet to figure out how the assassin had entered the room. The door had displayed no marks of being broken into, that they could tell. _Of course, it's a little hard to tell with all the damage She-Ra did to it,_ he thought, snickering to himself. Hawk's voice brought him back to the conversation at hand.

"In having dreams and flashbacks," Hawk replied, ignoring the prince's subtle hint to drop the subject. Adam grunted.

"There aren't any marks out here," the prince said, changing the topic. "It may have been an inside job, Hawk. Or someone with access to a key."

Hawk's eyes narrowed as Adam straightened up and turned around. Adam froze at the intent look on Hawk's face. "What is it?"

"If Adora died, I don't know how I'd go on," the pirate said, his voice low and tense, "though I know that I would. But if she were killed in front of me, then First Ones help the person responsible. That's how I deal with things, Adam. I 'take care' of what's bothering me. But you…" Hawk shook his head, his eyes still piercing Adam's. "You forgave Hordak. He took Adora away from her family, mistreated her, tortured you, nearly killed your parents and Teela…yet you forgave him. You _saved_ him. How?"

Adam stared at his friend, his own emotions churning. He could tell this answer meant a lot to Hawk, and he wasn't sure he had the best answer to give him. "Adora loved him, Hawk," he answered hoarsely. "I had to."

Hawk turned away, once again thinking that he didn't deserve to be king, and he certainly hoped he would never have to take the throne. He had too much pirate left in him to have mercy on people he didn't believe deserved it. Adam stood still a moment, then went over to Duncan's bed to see if he could find anything there. He was caught off-guard a few moments later when Hawk grabbed his arm.

"No one expects you to be able to handle everything perfectly, Adam," he said. "What you've been through was terrible. It's natural to be having trouble dealing with it."

Adam shook his head and turned back to his examination, only to be pulled back up by Hawk, who wasn't going to let this go. "Why are you so demanding of yourself?" the pirate asked in exasperation.

Adam gave a small, sad smile. "Because I have to be, Hawk," he said quietly. "Prince, He-Man, eventually king…I can't allow myself to fall apart. If I do, I've failed the people I'm sworn to protect and serve."

"So when do you get to be a regular man?" Hawk challenged him.

Adam's chin raised slightly, his eyes calm and accepting. "I don't."

"You can't live like that," Hawk warned his friend. "No one can survive under that kind of stress. Eventually you'll crack."

A slight smirk touched Adam's mouth. "I'd say I've already cracked, Hawk, or I wouldn't be having flashbacks." His eyes fairly glowed as he stared intently at the pirate, not voicing his next thought. _But I will not break._

* * *

The group spent the day combing through the room and questioning the guards and servants, but found nothing useful. They split up the following day to visit the surrounding areas that had been hit by the Specter, and again came up empty.

"I'm getting tired of this Specter," Hawk grumbled on the third morning. "I think we need to just head straight to his mountain lair and get him."

"We're not sure that's where he is," Teela reminded him.

"I think you might be right, Hawk, but we'll do some more scouting around before we tackle those caves," Adam decided. "The more information we have, the better prepared we'll be, and I think it's worth the effort to try to gather a little more intel. Duncan, you and Lana should take Hutch and go survey the province. Get a preliminary idea of what areas might be good for farming. The sooner we can help these people, the better." He paused. "That is, if you have time, Hutch."

Most of Hutch's face was hidden by his shaggy reddish-blond hair, but there was a catch to his voice as he answered. "Of course, Your Highness."

Duncan nodded. "That's a good idea, Adam. We may need to move homes or pastures in order to ensure an adequate water supply for the crops, so the sooner we know where the farmland will be, the better."

"Teela, I want you and Hawk to go into town and see if you can find out anything," Adam continued. Adora raised an eyebrow at that pairing. _He's putting those two hotheads together?_

"Adora and I will go check out the remaining places the Specter's hit." He raised the list in his hand. "There aren't many left, and I know this area pretty well. I think we can knock this out today and then check out the mountains tomorrow."

Adora glanced sideways at Adam as he started the wind raider. "What's going on, brother?"

"What do you mean?"

"You just put Teela and Hawk, two of the most impulsive people I know, together on an assignment," Adora pointed out calmly. "There's got to be a reason for it."

Adam gave her a lopsided grin. "Maybe I just wanted time with my favorite sister."

"I'm your only sister," she pointed out dryly. "So come on, what gives?"

Adam didn't answer her until they were in the air. Adora crossed her arms and turned in her seat to stare at him, waiting for an answer. "One of the places hit is in Rock Haven," he eventually admitted, gazing straight ahead.

Adora's eyes widened. "Adam! Why are you even going? Someone else could have done it!"

Adam's jaw was tight with determination, and there was a steely glint to his eye as he glanced at her. "I need to do this, Adora. I won't let these flashbacks control my life."

Adora frowned. "I hope you're ready for this, Adam. It could make things worse instead of better."

"That's just a chance I'll have to take."

There were a quite a few farms in Rock Haven, as it was one of the only places in Myrna that could be farmed. A rich deposit of silt many years ago had seen to that. Fortunately, the farm they visited was not the one Adam remembered from two years before. He and Adora conducted their interview, as they had at the three previous businesses and homes, and had already bid the farmer good-bye when Adam paused.

"Is Clemence still around here?" Adam asked.

"Aye, he won't ever leave. His boy's buried up on that hill there," the farmer replied, pointing to a small rise to the east. "He died in an earthquake a couple of years back."

"Thank you," Adam said quietly. He walked towards the hill. Adora gave the farmer a small, hesitant smile, then followed her brother silently. The wind blew gently, unusually warm, as if it were trying to reassure them. It caused the long grass, which was peppered with brightly colored flowers, to dance gaily. Set against the backdrop of the mountains, it was breath-taking, but somehow Adora doubted Adam even noticed.

There was a small marker on the hill. A short distance away stood a small wooden cabin that seemed empty at the moment, though the bushes around it were clearly cared for. Adam stopped by the marker and knelt down on one knee.

"Keegan," he read aloud softly. He swallowed hard. "I never knew his name." The memory of the trembling earth, and the little boy tearing out of his mother's arms, running to who knows what, came to mind. But it wasn't a flashback. It was just a memory. Adora stood there uncertainly, watching her brother.

For a long time Adam just kneeled there. Then he started to talk out loud again. "I always wondered why you ran from your mom. You tore away so fast. I was about to leave. I thought everything was okay. Then you took off. What was so important?" He stopped. "If I'd had She-Ra's powers, I could have saved you," he whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

Adora's eyes filled with tears, her heart breaking with compassion and empathy for her brother. She already feared failure, she always had. For some reason, here on Eternia, the weight of her responsibility seemed even heavier, maybe because now she had time to think about it and truly comprehend it. Or maybe it was because Lana had told Adam he would no longer be He-Man when he became king. Then it would all be left to her. Adam had been He-Man since she'd known him; the idea of doing this on her own was a bit daunting. Adora moved forward and dropped a supportive hand on Adam's shoulder. He didn't move, but instead continued to gaze at the small marker.

A loud neigh broke sliced through the breeze and broke into their musings. Their heads shot up as one. On a cliff not far away stood a winged horse with a cloaked rider on his back. Adora and Adam stared in disbelief for a moment, but there was no mistaking the figure before them. They had heard him described over a dozen times already. After all this time searching, the Specter had finally shown himself.


	13. Chapter 13: Lighter Moments

_A/N: I don't own any of the original MOTU characters. All of you who review totally rock. Thank you! And thanks to everyone for reading! Hopefully this one won't be too dull for you. _The twins ran for the wind raider. The Specter didn't move until they were in the air. Then he turned his winged horse and the two of them took off into the air, the animal's wings beating a steady rhythm. Adam frowned. Either the Specter had been deliberately waiting for them, or he hadn't realized they had a flying vehicle.

* * *

"I can't believe he was standing right there watching us," Adora mused aloud.

"Me either," Adam agreed. "And he's not making much of an effort to lose us." Indeed, the winged horse was flying fast but straight, right in the direction of Lone Mountain. The twins exchanged glances. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Probably," Adora agreed. "You think it's a trap."

"Right," Adam said, focused ahead of them. The figure in front glanced back once in a while, but it was as if he were just trying to make sure they were still following, not at all anxious about them catching him. Adam pushed the engines as hard as he dared. The whine of the wind raider reached the horse's ears, and the animal dove down towards the ground.

"Maybe we're wrong," Adam grunted as he dove to follow the horse, only to pull up a moment later. "He's gone." He circled around a few times, both of them scanning the area. Adam was looking at the radar when Adora spoke up.

"There he goes!" she exclaimed, pointing slightly to the left. "Right into Lone Mountain. He went into that cave. Let's check it out."

"No," Adam said emphatically. "I talked to Duncan about these caves before we split up this morning. Beau wasn't exaggerating. It's dangerous enough without walking into a trap."

"We might not have a better chance to catch him," Adora argued urgently. "He just went in there!"

"No," Adam repeated. He turned the wind raider back towards Hutch's castle. "I'm not letting you go in there by yourself, Adora, and with the flashbacks I've been having, I could be a serious liability to you." He shoved aside the feeling of self-disgust that accompanied that statement. "We need to get everyone together and come up with a plan."

Adora knew he was right, but she didn't like it. She crossed her arms and slumped in her seat. "If I had Spirit here I wouldn't be stuck in this thing," she muttered. "Then you couldn't stop me."

Adam gave her a cheeky grin. "Good thing I'm driving, then." Adora responded by sticking out her tongue.

* * *

Teela and Hawk headed back to the castle. "That was a waste of a day," Teela said in frustration. "Hutch was right. The Specter hasn't been so generous here in Myrna."

"Hmm," Hawk replied thoughtfully. "I wouldn't call it a total waste, though, Teela. After all, we found out he hit here once while we were in Bereathia, but it was unreported. And besides, it was about time you and I got to know each other a little better. We're going to be family." He shook his head, the ends of his bandana flying about. "_Royal_ family," he added with a mixture of disgust and disbelief.

Teela laughed. "I know," she admitted. "I grew up training to protect the royal family, not be in it. I can't quite wrap my mind around the idea that in a few months, I'm going to be on the other side of that." The heel of her boot sank into a soft spot on the road, and she lurched sideways. Hawk caught her arm and helped her right herself.

"Thanks," Teela said with a smile. "I guess seamen rarely lose their footing, huh?"

Hawk snorted. "You'd be surprised." They continued on in silence for a minute.

"Have you given any more thought to the king's offer?" Teela asked hesitantly.

Hawk sighed. "I can't see myself doing it," he admitted. "I can't see myself in the palace either. I love Adora with everything I am, Teela, but…I feel like I have to change who I am in order to be with her."

"I know what you mean," Teela acknowledged softly. "Although I guess it's easier for me. I grew up with Adam, so I'm familiar with all the protocols and everything else. And I think in the back of my mind, I always expected to be with Adam in some way; I just never gave a lot of thought as to what that would mean." She glanced at him sympathetically. "But at least Adora's just as lost about it all as you are. You two will learn it all eventually, and help each other through it."

"I suppose," Hawk agreed doubtfully. "But am I really what's best for her, Teela? Is the trouble I'm going to cause her because of who and what I am really worth it?"

Teela stopped and grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. Her sharp green eyes held him still. "You're asking the wrong person, Hawk. Adora's the only one who can answer that. But I'll give you my opinion. If you love Adora as much as you say you do, and she loves you the same way, then yes, you are what's best for her. The one thing I've learned from all Adam and I have been through is that love comes first, Hawk. Love kept me from Grayskull, it is the root of He-Man's strength, and because of it King Randor married an alien." They both smiled at that. "Love is the tie that binds us all, Hawk. Don't give up on it."

* * *

Adora was still pouting slightly when they landed.

"Better get used to taking orders from me, sis," Adam teased her as they got out of the wind raider. "Then it won't be such a hard adjustment when I'm king and bossing you around."

Her ire went up. Adam had hit a sensitive spot without knowing it. After being controlled by Hordak and Shadow Weaver for all those years…Adora shook herself out of that line of thought, knowing full well that Adam was teasing her. She forced a smile to her lips. "I'd like to see you try," she joked back, but he caught the iron undertone in her voice. He didn't push her on it, but instead put a thoughtful hand to his chin.

"First, I think I'll put you in training with the Captain of the Guard," he mused. "You obviously need to learn to control your strength better." Adora flushed red. She'd already snuck the money for the repairs to the room into Hutch's study with a note from She-Ra, but she was still embarrassed by her overzealous rescue. "Then," Adam continued, a wicked gleam in his eye, "I'll have you apprentice with the shoemaker and the seamstress, so you can design a better set of clothing for yourself."

It was no use; she just couldn't stay perturbed. Adora started giggling. "Those heels will be the first things to go," she admitted. "The frock will be the next."

Adam gallantly offered her his arm and they strolled towards the small castle.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here," said a familiar metallic voice.

Instinct took over, and Adam shoved Adora hard in the back, sending her stumbling forward as he turned to face Trap Jaw. He unsheathed a sword he'd taken to carrying since they had left on this trip. "Run Adora!"

Adora ground her teeth in frustration as Clawful appeared in front of her. "I'd like to, but I can't," she answered, drawing her own sword and backing up against Adam.

"Aw, that's so sweet," Tri-Clops observed from one side. "The cowardly prince finally found his courage." He grinned wickedly. "I'll give you a point for trying, Prince Adam."

Adam's hand tightened on the sword hilt as he reminded himself not to rise to the bait. "What do you creeps want?" Beastman approached from Adam's left, snarling nastily. _And that's all four,_ Adam thought wryly. _At least we know where they are._

"Someone wants to see you two," Clawful said, snapping his claws threateningly. Trap Jaw fired a freeze ray at Adam, and the prince was forced to dodge to the side, taking Adora with him.

"Adam!" she gasped indignantly. "What are you doing?"

"This pitiful sword doesn't deflect freeze rays," he growled at her. Then he grinned as the two of them scrambled to their feet. "And neither does Clawful."

Adora glanced over to see the crustacean encased in ice. "Nice, Adam, very nice." Adora's eyes widened as Tri-Clops shot off several eyebeams, which she easily deflected. Beastman grabbed Adam by the shoulders; using one of Teela's moves, the prince managed to slip out of his grasp, and the two of them locked hands.

"I'm really glad you invited us to your get-out-of-jail party," Adam quipped as he struggled against the burly monster. He-Man dealt with Beastman easily, but the creature was actually stronger than a typical man, even one as young and muscular as Adam. "This way we can put you back in that much faster."

"What is it with you masters and your stupid jokes?" Beastman snarled.

"Well, either we laugh at our own jokes or we laugh at your once again futile attempts to take over the planet," Adam grunted. "Which would you prefer?" Beastman fairly howled and bent Adam's hands back, nearly driving the prince to his knees. _If only I had my sword. _Suddenly, all of Adam's pent-up emotions seemed to release in a surge of fury that lent him strength. He managed to regain his footing; Beastman snarled in surprise.

"Can we join the party?" Teela inquired as she whapped Trap Jaw alongside the head with her staff, causing the villain to stagger slightly to the side. Hawk drew his cutlass.

"Run, you two!" he called. Adora made a break for it and was out of sight in seconds.

"Never mind her, just get the prince!" Tri-Clops ordered as he tried to stun Hawk and Teela with his beams.

"Run, Adam!" Teela ordered as she dodged the beams.

"You've got to be kidding," he retorted. Beastman still had his hands intertwined with Adam's, and this time managed to force the prince down onto one knee.

Trap Jaw took a bite out of Teela's staff, and she quickly turned on her freeze ray. "Don't move or you'll look like your lobster friend over there!" she snapped at him. In answer, Trap Jaw raised his weapon and fired at her, laughing to himself as Teela rolled out of the way. His snickers stopped short, however, when a feminine pair of hands grasped his ray gun attachment and bent it back so it was facing him.

"I suggest you leave my friends alone," She-Ra ordered mildly.

Tri-Clops knew when he was beaten. "Retreat!" he ordered. The four of them disappeared into a shimmering blue light.

Hawk offered a hand to Adam and pulled him to his feet. The prince glared at Teela. "Run? For what?" he demanded. "What would that accomplish?"

"It would save your life," she answered pointedly.

"And leave you to perhaps die in my place?" he growled at her, his large hands encircling her waist as he brought his face inches from hers. "Forget it, Captain. I'm not leaving your side during a fight unless it's for a really good reason." _And that won't be until I get my sword back._

* * *

Predictably, as soon as Adora and Adam reported their sighting of the Specter, Hawk and Teela were chomping at the bit to get to Lone Mountain and track down the Specter. Duncan, however, insisted they take the time to create a plan, and Adam and Lana backed him up.

"Beau said he's been in those caves before," Adam pointed out. "I'd say we need to return to Bereathia in the morning and find out exactly how much he knows. We may need a lot more help than just the six of us."

Eventually the others relented, and the group broke up to prepare for dinner. Adam caught Teela's arm. "Have dinner in town with me?"

She smiled warmly at him. "Sure."

After making excuses to the others and turning their homing beacons on as a precaution, Adam and Teela walked hand-in-hand, enjoying the peacefulness of the moonlit night. The chirping and buzzing of evening insects echoed around them as they headed towards the main town of Myrna.

"Is there something on your mind?" Teela asked.

"Not really," Adam answered, smiling at her. "I just missed you today, and I thought we needed some time together. The wedding's barely over three months away now. I think the invitations are going out in the next day or so."

"It was nice of your mother to take care of that for us," Teela said gratefully.

Adam chuckled. "Did she have a choice, after Father chased us off up here?"

Teela glanced suspiciously at him. "You didn't happen to ask him to get you away from all the wedding preparations, did you?"

Adam gave her an innocent look. "Would I do that?"

Teela raised an eyebrow. "Yes." Adam laughed, and Teela joined in.

"No, I didn't," Adam answered her. He moved closer and put an arm around her shoulders as they walked. Teela leaned into him, reveling in the strength that seemed to emanate from him.

"One of the farms we visited today was near Rock Haven," Adam said abruptly, his easy tone forced. His fingers tightened slightly on her shoulder; Teela could sense he expected her to be upset.

"Oh?" she asked, tilting her head sideways a little.

"Yeah," Adam replied roughly before launching into the story. By the time he was done, they were at the tavern and had taken their seats for dinner. It was a small establishment, with soft music coming from another room. The owners had taken the care to put tablecloths on for the evening meals, Teela noted, 

and candles in the center of each table as well. In spite of the fact that it was a regular tavern by day, it was almost elegant by night. She hesitated, then decided to change the subject.

"And how did you find out about this place?" she asked teasingly as she perused the menu. She was sure he'd known ahead of time how romantic it would be.

Adam smiled secretively. "I have my ways."

Teela giggled. "Yes, and his name is Hutch."

Adam's smile widened. "Maybe. Or maybe I've brought girls here in the past," he ribbed her.

Teela raised an eyebrow as the waitress came and took their orders. By the ease Adam displayed and his familiarity with the menu, she could see he had indeed been here before. But she knew he had come to visit Hutch when he was younger, occasionally for weeks at a time.

"If you've ever been serious about any other girl, I'll—," Teela paused, unsure of what to bet. She wasn't that sure.

"Fulfill my every desire?" Adam suggested, a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Adam!" Teela gasped, pretending to be horrified, but she couldn't keep up the ruse. She laughed with him, a deep throaty sound full of desire. "You'll have to wait until after the wedding for that one."

Adam's eyes darkened to almost midnight blue. "Then I'm glad we're getting married so quickly," he said huskily.

They stared at each other for a moment, lost in love and desire. Then Teela blushed lightly and glanced at the table, suddenly feeling shy. Adam swallowed hard and took a deep breath as he too averted his gaze for a moment.

"So have you?" Teela asked softly.

"Have I what?" Adam asked blankly, his mind still on her soft, ivory skin and luminous eyes. _It's a good thing we're in a public place, or I might have trouble keeping my promise to Duncan._

"Have you ever been serious about another woman?" Teela asked, a touch impatiently.

"You've known me my entire life, Teela," Adam scoffed lightly. "You already know the answer to that."

Teela tilted her head slightly to the side. "Adam, between me going to university and you…" she glanced around at the crowded tables and re-worded what she'd been about to say, "taking on your added responsibilities at eighteen, I actually don't know the answer to that question."

The strength of his feelings was written on his face as Adam answered. "I've never even considered asking any other woman to marry me."

Teela didn't seem to notice that he hadn't answered the exact question as their food arrived. They chatted lightly about wedding plans, the Specter, Skeletor, their parents...the conversation flitted from one topic to another as they simply enjoyed the meal and some quiet time together for a change.

"Mmmm," Teela hummed as she tasted the chocolate mousse laced with dragonberry cream. "This is wonderful."

Adam's own dessert was a smooth Wayfield fruit custard, and he closed his eyes for a second as he took a spoonful. It was just as good as he remembered. Then he nearly inhaled it as Teela asked, "Adam, how many children do you want?"

The custard went to the back of his throat as he tried to gasp and swallow at the same time, and Adam started coughing harshly. Alarmed, Teela stretched her hand over, but couldn't reach him to pound on his back as she wanted to. "Are you all right?" she demanded.

Adam nodded, still coughing, and waved off the waitress who had come over. "I'm okay," he choked out to Teela. "You just surprised me with that one."

Teela smothered a laugh. "Sorry," she said, sounding anything but.

"Sure you are," Adam rasped, clearing his throat with a few more coughs.

"Seriously, Adam, I know royal duty and all we have to produce an heir, but how many children do you want?" Teela pressed, her eyes still twinkling.

Adam hesitated, unsure of her feelings on the subject. Teela waited expectantly. "As many as you're willing to have," he finally admitted. "I guess it stems from being separated from Adora, but I always felt I was missing something growing up. Even though I had you." He offered an apologetic half-smile. "But I know that might not fit in with what you want, Teela. So how many-"

"Four," Teela interrupted promptly. At the surprise on Adam's face, she hastened to add, "I guess I feel the same way as you, Adam. I had you growing up, but you weren't my brother. You were Adam." She shrugged with a smile. "I didn't know what category you fell into, actually." Adam chuckled at that. "But even though I had Man-at-Arms, I didn't have my mother, my biological father, or any siblings. So I always thought that once I finally settled down and resigned my post as Captain of the Guard, I'd have at least two children. At least," she added for emphasis.

Adam reached across the table and took her hand. "Well, that was pretty easy," he said with a smile. "For once we agreed on something right away."

Teela pretended offense. "What do you mean, 'for once?'"

"Well," Adam drawled, "let's see…"

* * *

Miro hobbled into the palace as fast as he could. By following the falcon, he had not only found a stream, but also a road. He had gotten a ride on a wagon within the first two hours, and fortunately, it had been going to the marketplace right inside the palace walls. Even so, it had taken him several days to reach the palace. Dawn was just breaking, and Miro could only hope that Randor was up as early as he usually was.

Ram-Man was out training already, Miro noted with a smothered grin. The short, squat man bounced over immediately to offer his assistance. "Deh, King Miro, what's wrong? Are ya hurt?"

"Just a slightly sprained ankle, thank you Rammy," Miro replied easily. "Is my son awake yet? It is imperative that I speak to him immediately."

"I'll go get him," Ram-Man offered, setting off without missing a beat.

"Tell him I'll meet him in his study. Marlena should come as well," Miro called after him. He groaned slightly as he walked, but at the same time, he was thankful for loyal warriors like Ram-Man who helped without question.

Randor was already in his study when Miro limped in. "Father, what's wrong?" he demanded, grabbing Miro's arm in an effort to help him. "Are you injured?"

"Just a sprain," Miro found himself repeating.

"Then what's all this urgency?" Randor asked, his heart pounding. He had intended to interrogate his father about the picture of the blue-skinned woman and child, but now it crossed his mind that perhaps there was no need to do so. Perhaps Miro was about to solve the mystery himself.

"What's going on?" Marlena asked as she entered. She had just gotten out of bed, but there was no way of telling that. Her hair and clothing were perfect, and she looked almost as young with no make-up as she did with it.

"Shut the door," Miro requested. He didn't want any of the servants to overhear this. One Marlena had done so, he took a steadying breath. "Are you two aware of any rumors floating around?"

"You mean that Teela is pregnant with Adam's child, or that Adora is marrying an unsuitable pirate?" Randor asked dryly. "Old news, Father."

"How about a rumor that Adam got Lady Amanda pregnant?" Miro asked quietly.

"Impossible," Randor scoffed immediately.

"Who is telling such lies?" Marlena demanded, her eyes flashing.

"I overheard it in a tavern just south of Bereathia," Miro answered. His brown eyes sought his son's. "I thought it was ridiculous myself, but…every man has his weakness, Randor, and…Lady Amanda is…well…" His voice trailed off slightly as Randor's gaze hardened. "Look, I've been traveling around Eternia for several years, and Adam's reputation among the people is that of a bit of a…well, at least a flirt, if not a bit of a playboy," the former king concluded. "I think we have to acknowledge that this rumor could be true."

Marlena moved so quickly he didn't even see her cross the room; but she was suddenly in front of him, angrier than he'd ever seen her and fairly shaking with rage.

"How dare you," she hissed, her blue eyes hard with fury. "Don't you _ever_ say such a thing about my son."

Randor swallowed hard. "What if it's true?" he whispered. Marlena whirled on him, her face red. "Marlena, Adam told Duncan something in confidence. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what it was. What if this is it?"

Marlena's eyes narrowed; she took a step back and folded her arms. "How can you even think such a thing about Adam?" she demanded.

"Marlena, he's still human," Randor said, his eyes and voice distraught. "He's not perfect."

"But this would ruin everything," Marlena whispered, her rage giving way to despair. Her face began to drain of color, and a tear seeped from the corner of her eye. "He wouldn't be able to marry Teela." She closed her eyes as Randor pulled her into his arms, blinking hard to keep the tears from his own eyes. "It can't be true. He loves Teela too much. It just can't be true."


	14. Chapter 14: About that Night

_A/N: Um…I didn't quite expect such a reaction to the idea that Adam might have had a fling! I have to admit that I'm putting this one up a few days early because of all the begging…but that won't always work! However, I do accept bribes, preferably in the form of dark chocolate… ;-) _

_Of course, I don't own the original MOTU characters and I don't make money off of this, or I wouldn't need to accept bribes because I could afford to buy my own chocolate!_

* * *

Adam went for a walk by himself the next morning, knowing it wasn't a great idea given all the "accidents" of late, but desperately needing the time alone. The visit to Rock Haven had opened a floodgate of emotions; images of Keegan being buried under rocks had taunted him all night, intermingled with dreams of Adora stabbing him and the sting of a whip. He had awoken feeling overwrought and weary. As he walked, the swell of emotions became overwhelming. He swallowed hard against the tears, recalling a conversation with Duncan at the same time.

"You've got to allow yourself to blow off some emotion, Adam," his mentor had warned him. "Cry, yell, scream, hit something…just stop burying it."

"I talk with you," Adam had protested, frowning.

"It's not enough," Duncan had admonished him. "You take after your father and try to be strong all the time. It's not healthy. Even He-Man has emotions, Adam."

Those emotions were at the boiling point now, Adam had to admit. He sat heavily on a tree stump, also acknowledging to himself that his experiences over the last year had left scars that were much deeper than he'd let on to anyone, including Duncan. Memories flooded his mind, bringing the sense of failure over Keegan, the despair of Teela's death, the humiliation of being Hordak's slave, and the recollection of all the physical torment he'd endured. He couldn't hold it in this time, and he didn't want to. He was tired of holding it all together. With only the trees and the animals to bear witness, Adam finally let himself cry.

* * *

Hawk had just thrown the last bag into the wind raider when Duncan came in, his face grim. "There's been a change in plans. We're all to return to the palace, immediately."

"Is everything all right?" Adam asked, worried by Duncan's tone. He had arrived back just before breakfast. His mentor had immediately taken note of the prince's red-rimmed eyes, but had not commented on it. Adam seemed less tense than he had been of late, and Duncan figured that was a good thing.

"Your father said he couldn't speak of it on the communicator, Adam," Duncan replied. "He just insisted that we come back right away." Adam and Adora exchanged frowns, apprehension mirrored in their blue eyes.

* * *

Miro, Randor, and Marlena were waiting in the hangar when they landed. "Thank you all for returning so quickly," Randor said stiffly. "Adam, we need to speak to you."

The sense of foreboding that had plagued Adam since Duncan made his announcement suddenly grew. "Of course, Father," he said automatically.

"What's going on?" Teela demanded, catching Adam's arm before he got more than a step or two away from her.

"We need to talk to Adam," Marlena inserted firmly, her face carefully blank. "Then we will speak with the rest of you."

Marlena rarely spoke in such a tone to anyone, and Teela and Adora exchanged nervous glances as a wave of anxiety raced through the group.

Adam had been taught by Duncan growing up, so he had never attended a formal school. Still, he couldn't help thinking that this must be what it felt like to be a schoolboy on his way to the principal's office. The tension fairly oozed from his parents' and grandfather's grim faces as their footsteps echoed off of the nearly-empty halls. Marlena had a proud tilt to her chin that said she was both angry and struggling to hold back tears. Randor led them all into his study and shut the door firmly.

"Adam, your grandfather has heard a most disturbing rumor," Randor said, his eyes reluctantly meeting his son's. Adam's brow furrowed. His family didn't put any stock in rumors normally. "I'm sorry to say, son, that we have to ask you if it's true, because of our laws." He stopped speaking, finding this much more difficult than he'd expected, especially in the face of Adam's clear confusion.

"Oh Blazes," Miro muttered, frustrated with Randor's hesitation. "Adam," he began, then he too found it difficult to continue as Adam turned to him. Still, he plunged on anyway. "I overheard a man talking. He said Lady Amanda is pregnant…with your child."

Adam's voice refused to work for a few seconds, and the blood drained from his face. _Not her. Not now._

"That's not possible," he finally protested.

He wasn't surprised. Marlena's hand flew to her mouth, and a wave of nausea hit her as her mother's instinct kicked in. "You've been with her, though, haven't you?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

This was not a conversation he wanted to have with his parents and his grandfather. Adam swallowed before answering. "No. Yes. Sort of," he admitted somberly. The disappointment on their faces hit him like one of Skeletor's punches to the stomach. It was even worse than when he'd disappointed his father because he was off being He-Man, because this time it was deserved. Adam didn't notice the relief mingled with the disappointment on Randor's face.

"What do you mean, 'sort of?'" Randor asked, though he didn't really want to know the answer.

The memory of Amanda's mouth on his bare chest had Adam's face flushing. "Is that really important, Father? I would think that what matters is that there's no way that baby could be mine."

Marlena averted her eyes, wishing she was anywhere else doing anything else at that moment.

"Adam, a child is a precious gift," Miro admonished him gently. "Don't throw it away because you're ashamed."

"It's not mine," Adam repeated stubbornly, folding his arms. "Lady Amanda has always wanted to be queen, and she'll try anything to make it happen. Even a crazy story like this."

"I think you'd better tell us everything," Randor suggested. "If she is after the throne, as you believe, then we need to know what we're dealing with."

Adam sighed, but he knew his father was right. "Then you'd better get comfortable. It's a long story." His family took him at his word and sat down, some of the tension gone now that they had his assurance Lady Amanda was lying, though Marlena still looked distinctly uncomfortable. The queen smoothed her gown over and over, in spite of the fact that there were no wrinkles to be seen.

"It was the night after the earthquake in Rock Haven," Adam said quietly. Marlena gasped softly and looked up. Adam continued, watching his wording since his grandfather was still in the room. "I had returned home, late for Teela's party…"

* * *

"Well, it's about time you got here," Randor roared at him.

"I'm sorry, Father," Adam said dully. "I was out in-"

"Fooling around again, I suppose," his father interrupted. "Can't you take any responsibility? Showing up this late for Teela's party is unacceptable!"

Adam hung his head, feeling beaten from every side, wondering if it was all really worth it. _I'm a failure as a prince and as a son and as He-Man too._

"Randor, perhaps we should discuss this later," Marlena quietly suggested with a glance at the other guests gathered. Randor nodded curtly. Teela, pointedly ignoring Adam, began opening her presents. Preoccupied with his daughter's birthday, Duncan failed to notice that Adam was not joining in the fun as he usually did; or if he did notice, he assumed it was from Randor's greeting.

Adam couldn't wait for the party to end. He wanted nothing more than to pull Duncan aside and talk to him about the entire escapade. The jokes flew around him, and Orko's magical mistakes brought laughter to almost every person—except Adam. He just couldn't keep up the act of the fun-loving prince tonight. He could still hear the mother's sobs as she held her little boy's bruised and broken body. _I failed,_ Adam thought again miserably.

By the end of the party, King Randor's mood had not improved much. He insisted on speaking with Adam in private. Adam reluctantly followed his parents to his father's study, the one place they could be sure of not being overheard. "It is embarrassing that the Crown Prince cannot handle his own responsibilities," Randor stated flatly.

"I'm sorry, Father," Adam said quietly. "There was an earthquake, and a family in danger. I had to find He-Man."

"Was everyone all right?" Marlena asked with concern.

Adam shook his head sadly, swallowing several times as he tried to hold his emotions at bay. "A small boy got away from his mother and was crushed in a rockslide. He died in He-Man's arms." His mother gasped.

"Perhaps if you had assisted instead of wasting time looking for He-Man, that wouldn't have happened," Randor snapped. Adam blanched and grew rigid.

"Randor!" Marlena said, horrified, her hand going to the base of her throat.

"I did everything I could do," Adam ground out. "I couldn't catch the boy and I couldn't stop the rockslide. All I could do was move the rocks and hold him." His voice broke. Marlena's eyes opened wide, and with a sense of panic, Adam realized he'd slipped up. Randor didn't notice the slip, but he did recognize the distress on his son's face.

"I'm sorry, Adam," the king said, obviously somewhat chagrined. "That must have been very difficult."

"It was," Adam acknowledged. There was a short silence among the family members, no one really knowing what to say next.

"Why don't you go get some rest, son?" Marlena suggested softly. Adam nodded and left, but as he passed Teela's door, he hesitated.

_I should apologize. She won't accept it, but at least she'll know I cared that she was upset. _Taking a deep breath, Adam knocked on the door lightly, almost hoping she'd be asleep already. Instead, it flew open immediately.

"What do you want?" Teela glared at him, fire spitting from her eyes.

"I'm sorry Teela," he said in response. The anger on her face didn't change, and Adam found himself spilling out the story, desperate for her to understand. "I was out near Rock Haven, and an earthquake struck. I went to find He-Man, because there was a family there who needed help. Then I stayed until…" his voice faded. "Until everything was over."

In spite of her anger, Teela knew Adam well. She recognized the shadows in his eyes and the catch in his voice. "What happened?" she asked more gently, stepping back slightly to allow him a foot or two into the room.

Adam sighed heavily. "The little boy got away from his mother and went running after something—the Ancients know what it was. There was an aftershock, and it caused another rockslide. I—and He-Man—tried to get him, but we didn't see him until it was too late. All we could do was dig him out." Adam's blue eyes filled with tears. "He-Man took it really hard. The most powerful man in the universe, and he couldn't get to the little boy in time." He didn't realize there was a trace of bitterness to his voice until it was too late.

Teela drew back, her sympathy for Adam dissipating. "He's human, Adam! Just because he has super strength doesn't mean he can do everything, save everyone! I can't believe you're blaming him for the death of that little boy!" She was practically shaking with anger.

"I'm not," Adam protested, but in fact he was blaming He-Man, and they both knew it. "I just meant that he took a vow to protect the innocent, and I'm sure—" He didn't get to finish, as Teela ripped into him.

"You're just jealous, that's your problem," she snapped. Her finger actually waved under his nose. "He-Man is everything you're not—a true warrior, with an incredible sense of responsibility. He doesn't need you to tell him how to do his job!" With that, she shoved Adam backwards, out of the room, and slammed the door in his face.

Adam normally wasn't one to feel sorry for himself or his plight of having a dual identity, but on this night, everything seemed to be weighing him down. He knew he needed to talk to someone, and he wandered the halls for nearly a half-hour before learning that Duncan had been called out to repair an irrigation system. Orko and Cringer were asleep already. Adam ran a hand through his hair and sighed. His only other option was the Sorceress. He didn't want to go to Grayskull, though. He was too tired. And holding a conversation with her in his head just wasn't going to be good enough. Maybe he should just go on to bed-

"Hello, Adam," a familiar voice purred. Adam froze. _Ancients, I don't need this tonight. _He turned to face Eternia's most sensual woman—or at least the woman who would have won the title if men actually voted on it. She had long, shining black hair that fell midway down her back in soft waves. Her voluptuous figure caused men and boys alike to drool. She had flawless ivory skin, lush red lips, and dark eyes that glowed with mystery and unholy promises.

It was Lady Amanda, the only being on Eternia that actually frightened Adam. All of the other women he could charm and tease and flirt harmlessly with. Not her. Lady Amanda was in a class all her own. She had no problem using her body to get what she wanted in life. Unfortunately, she had recently decided that she wanted to be Queen of Eternia. And she thought she knew the perfect way to get there. Even Duncan had noticed it, and referred to her as a "government problem."

Adam thought as quickly as his tired, emotionally distraught brain would allow. It was late. Only the minimal night patrol was making rounds now; other than that the palace halls were empty. He didn't trust Amanda any further than he could throw her, and this was not a situation he wanted to be in with her.

"Good night, Lady Amanda," he responded as if he were simply returning her greeting, careful to keep his voice neutral. He started to turn back to continue to his room, but she put a hand on his bicep and smoothly moved her fingertips to the sensitive skin on the inside of his arm, sending shivers racing through him.

"I heard you had a rough day," Amanda said, her face full of sympathy and concern. "I thought you might like to talk about it."

"That's very kind of you, Lady Amanda, but it's late and I'm just headed off to get some sleep," Adam countered politely. She didn't move her hand off of his arm.

"Adam, I know you said we couldn't be more than friends, but I do care for you," she said, hurt in her voice. "I've never seen you so upset. I want to help you." Tears pooled in her dark eyes.

Always wanting to believe the best of people, Adam relented slightly. "Lady Amanda, I appreciate your offer to help, but I think perhaps it should wait until morning."

"And are you really going to be able to sleep tonight?" she asked perceptively. Adam's eyes widened slightly. "Maybe you didn't know this, but I studied counseling, Adam. If you want to call this a counseling session, then call it that, but please, let me help you."

Her hand hadn't moved from his arm, but now it slid down to hold his hand. To his surprise, Adam found himself going with her, into her bedroom.

* * *

Randor shook his head. "Adam, she played you like an instrument. I can't believe you went in her room."

"I was upset and lonely," Adam said defensively.

"But still, you should know better than to put yourself in a compromising position-"

"Stop it," Marlena snapped. The two men, mouths slack, stared at her. "Go on, Adam, before I lose the fortitude to make myself sit here and listen to this."

* * *

Before he quite knew what happened, Adam was sitting down with a glass of wine in his hand and Amanda had placed snacks out on the table in her sitting area. He shook his head and set the glass down.

"I try not to drink, Amanda, but thank you anyway."

Amanda shrugged lightly, the movement causing her clothes to accentuate her ample breasts. She was wearing a low-cut gown; one Adam was pretty sure his mother would not approve of. The red material was almost sheer; in fact, he realized in surprise, it was sheer, but that detail was somewhat hidden because there were two layers of it. The sleeves hung loosely; the rest of the dress fit her curves perfectly. The effect was incredibly sexy.

Adam swallowed hard and started talking in self-defense. As the story of what happened poured out of him, Amanda listened intently, gasping and cooing sympathetically in all the right places, and asking him questions when he paused. For the first time Adam felt as if she were seeing him as a person rather than a prince. It was at least an hour later, and the conversation had moved on to other topics, when Adam forced himself to his feet. "I really have to be going, Amanda." He smiled warmly at her. "But I did enjoy our time together. Thank you for everything."

Amanda pouted a little as she got to her feet. "Do you have to go? I was enjoying our talk so much," she protested, her voice throaty. She came around the table and stood before him. Adam took a breath and a heady, musky scent filled his nostrils. He could feel his body responding to her sensuality, and he suddenly felt as if he were frozen in place as she reached up and stroked his face. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly, then nibbled at his lip. A flood of heat rushed through him. For the first time that day he forgot about his failure to save the boy and the guilt and loneliness that had plagued him all evening. And for the first time since he was eighteen he didn't stop to think about whether what he was about to do was the right thing or not. One hand went to her mid-back, pressing her against him as the other hand went up her neck into her hair, and he kissed her back.

* * *

"And then?" Randor asked when Adam stopped.

"We didn't do it," Adam said shortly. He met his father's gaze. "Don't get me wrong, we would have, except that she called me 'Prince Adam.' The way she said my title—there was a note of triumph in her voice. It was enough to bring me to my senses," he finished, self-disgust in his own tone. That had been her one mistake, because by then he had been lost in sensations he'd only overheard the guards talk about. If she'd kept her mouth shut, she would have had him.

"I can't imagine she was too happy about you holding back," Marlena observed.

Adam shook his head. "She wasn't. I've been waiting for her to pull something like this ever since."

"It's not an easy thing, waiting for the truth to come out about a secret like that," Miro commented quietly. Randor turned to look at his father. The comment sounded like it was one of experience, he noted, not observation.

Adam, however, raised an eyebrow at his grandfather. "A secret like what?" he asked reasonably. Miro froze. "I'm not proud that I allowed myself to get maneuvered into that situation, but the bottom line is that nothing happened, and there is no way that baby can be mine." He frowned. "This doesn't make a lot of sense, actually. If she wanted to pull this, it would have made much more sense to try it a few months after we were together, not two years later. What's she trying to accomplish?"

Miro breathed a sigh of relief as Adam and his parents continued discussing the situation. He had been careless with that statement. He would have to be more careful in the future.

* * *

Never one to waste time, Duncan went to his workshop; the others trailed after him. Half-finished projects lay scattered around; apparently his decision to come to Myrna really had been a last-minute one, Teela noticed. She left briefly to check in with the guard, but was back in less than 15 minutes. Adora kept looking at the clock. In tune to Adam's feelings as she sometimes was, she could sense his anxiety. "What on Etheria could be taking so long?" she muttered.

"Actually, we're on Eternia," Hawk joked, striving to lighten the atmosphere. The others just groaned.

"Hi everybody!" Orko called, floating in. Cringer was following him, and immediately looked around.

"Where's Adam?" the cat asked eagerly.

"With his parents and grandfather," Adora said, giving him an understanding smile as his face fell in disappointment. Adam had told her Cringer wasn't used to being away from him. She bent down to pet the tiger. "I'm sure they'll be out soon, Cringer."

"Are they meeting about that rumor?" Orko asked innocently.

"What rumor?" Teela asked, rising from her seat across the room.

"Where is he?" roared a distant voice before Orko could answer. Teela exchanged glances with her father. It sounded as if it were coming from the terminal area.

Adora, however, was more surprised at who the voice sounded like. "Is that Sully?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Sure sounded like him," Hawk responded, already heading towards the door.

"I insist on seeing him immediately!" the voice yelled, the anger seeming to increase with every word.

"That is most definitely Sully's voice," Teela agreed as they hurried down the hall.

"Sir," came the echo of a guard's polite but firm voice, "Prince Adam is in a meeting with the king and queen. If you'll follow me to the sitting area, I will make sure they know you are here."

The group came around the corner to find Duke Sully, so red in the face that even his blond hair seemed to have a red tinge to it, toe-to-toe with one of Teela's guards. His ship was still powering down, he had leapt out so quickly.

"You!" Sully snapped to Man-at-Arms as he caught sight of them. "Go fetch that low-down conniving scumbag you call a prince, immediately!"

"Why you disrespectful-" Teela broke of as her father drew himself to his full height and stepped forward in an authoritative manner.

"You won't be seeing anyone around here until you calm yourself," he informed the nobleman.

"Calm myself! Calm myself? How do you suggest I do that, when your _noble prince_," Sully sneered, sarcasm dripping from the words, "got my niece pregnant?" With that, the passenger door to his transport opened, and Lady Amanda stepped out, her face flaming with embarrassment and the slight swell of her stomach seeming to prove her uncle's words.

"No," Teela whispered. "That's not true." She meant the words to sound more forceful than they did. She couldn't raise her voice any, though. She felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach.

Lady Amanda lowered her eyes to hide the tears pooling in them. "I'm sorry, Captain Teela," she said quietly, "but it is."

Hawk and Adora exchanged glances. This was apparently a much bigger deal on Eternia than it would have been on Etheria. Adora had never felt that pre-marital relations were appropriate, but on Etheria, it had not been taboo—in fact, at one time, pre-marital flings were common, almost accepted as the engaged party's right. Resulting pregnancies were rare, though.

"How dare you!" Duncan barked, his voice hard.

"No way! Adam would never do such a thing!" Orko exclaimed.

"That's what you think," Sully snapped back. "Apparently your prince isn't as pure as you all believed him to be."

"And apparently Amanda still has her sights set on the throne," Adam's voice challenged back. Teela turned and her knees nearly buckled with relief. Adam stood there calmly, obviously ready for Sully's accusations, with his parents flanking him on either side. It was clear he had their support.

"Admit it, this is the reason you pushed your wedding up," Sully accused. "You were trying to marry this woman," he gestured towards Teela with a distasteful expression, "before anyone found out that Amanda was carrying your child!"

"It was my idea to move the wedding date up!" Teela broke in angrily, having found her voice at last.

"Do you deny that you and Amanda have a history?" Sully demanded of Adam, ignoring Teela.

"I-" Adam broke off as he thought the better of answering Sully's question directly. "A history of what, Duke Sully? Exactly what are you asking?"

The shouts had roused the concern of several guardsmen, and the crowd in the landing area was growing larger. At least a dozen guardsmen and servants stood uncertainly in doorways, unsure if they should stay or not.

Sully ground his teeth together and managed to spit out, "Did you have a relationship with my niece?"

"Not the kind you're implying," Adam answered firmly. "There's no way her child could be mine."

Amanda broke out sobbing. "Adam, how can you say that? Didn't I mean anything to you? Were you just using me?" Tears streamed down her pink cheeks.

"Let's talk in private, Amanda," Adam urged her, avoiding her questions. He wanted to get to the bottom of this, but he knew the bigger the audience, the more likely it was that Amanda would keep up her act.

"I thought you loved me," she cried. Sully glared at Adam.

"Why won't you just admit to having a relationship with her?" Sully demanded harshly. "You got her pregnant, and now you think you can leave her to fend for herself while you go off and marry this harlot?"

Teela's blood boiled at that, but before she could react, Adam took a step forward, his own eyes narrowing in anger. "Don't you ever speak of Teela like that!" he warned in a dangerous tone.

"You accused me of not respecting women," Sully spat at him. "And look what you've done! What kind of respect is this?"

"I have done nothing!" Adam snapped back. "I never slept with Amanda!"

"Enough!" Randor roared. Silence fell. "I believe we should continue this conversation in private."

Adam cast a glance over to Teela, his face expressionless but his eyes conveying both an apology and a promise to talk later. She watched as her father escorted Adam, his parents, Amanda, and Sully down the stone hallway to a private conference room. She heard Adora ordering the guards and the servants to keep silent about what they'd heard, knowing that some of them would out of loyalty and others wouldn't for their own reasons. But it all came to her as if from a distance. Teela felt as if she were in the control room watching everything happen—seeing a copy of herself reacting. Even after the small group had vanished from sight, she stared down the hallway—it was as if someone had cut power to the control room, leaving her isolated in a desolate silent darkness. A hand on her shoulder finally pulled Teela back into reality.

"Teela, are you all right?" Lana asked, her warm voice full of concern.

Teela finally found her voice. "No I'm not," she snapped. The possible consequences of Amanda's accusation started to sink in, and she covered her face with her hands. "What if it's true, Mother?"

"Teela!" Adora exclaimed in shock. "How could you even consider believing that-that-" she fell silent, unable to think of an appropriate word for "Lady" Amanda.

"Adora's right," Orko said. "That lady's bad news, bad bad news."

Lana regarded her daughter with concern. Teela's head was lowered, and tears were slowly dropping onto the stone floor. Adam had hidden so much from her, and Lana knew Teela was asking herself if this was yet another secret he had kept.

_He promised,_ Teela reminded herself, struggling to focus on the love she and Adam shared. _He was going to try to be as open and honest as he can be. It can't be true. Adam's not like that. Besides, he said he didn't sleep with her. Adam doesn't lie. _She took a shuddering breath. _He just omits things. _

"Teela," Hawk said quietly. His heart ached for her as she turned raw, shocked eyes on him. "Don't give up on love, remember?"

Teela gave a small nod, but didn't answer. Lana gathered her daughter in her arms, and hugged her for all she was worth. After a moment, Teela's arms went around her mother as well, and she held on tightly.

"It will be all right, Teela," Lana whispered, her heart aching at this bittersweet moment. So many times over the years she had wanted to be there like this for her daughter, yet at the same time she had prayed Teela would never see another moment of suffering this deep. "It will be. You'll see. Have faith."


	15. Chapter 15: Confrontations

The group entered the room tensely, their footsteps muffled on the carpet and Sully throwing dark angry looks at Adam. This room had always been one of Adam's favorites. He loved negotiating peace between opposing parties, and this was one of the most common places for such a meeting to be held. It was designed to be soothingly neutral. There were soft blue curtains against the same golden stone used throughout the palace. Plenty of natural light flooded the room from the high, open windows. The light-colored wooden table was long but narrow; when opposing parties sat on opposite sides, they were often physically much closer than they had ever been before, even though the table was between them. There was also a rug with a mixed design of the symbols of ancient languages to quietly remind people of history. Its calming blue, cream, green, and black colors provided an earthy, wholesome feel.

"Now," Randor began as they all took their seats, with Duncan standing guard outside the door, "Lady Amanda, suppose you tell us when this alleged event occurred."

"You mean when did this hypocrite get her pregnant?" Sully snarled, glaring at Adam again.

"We'll have no more name-calling," Randor said firmly, refusing to rise to the bait, though he clenched his fist under the table. "Remember that your presence is not needed for this discussion, Duke Sully." The nobleman slouched in his chair, folding his arms and muttering under his breath.

"It was a few months ago," Lady Amanda said softly, her face shining with innocence and her eyes pleading with the king to believe her. "The same day that Hordak kidnapped you, the Queen, Teela, and He-Man. Adam was so distraught…he came to me, just as he did nearly two years ago when the little boy was killed in an earthquake in Rock Haven. I didn't mind giving him whatever comfort I could," she explained, lowering her eyes and blushing prettily.

_That snake!_ Marlena thought uncharitably. _Choosing one of the worst days of Adam's life, and a date when no one can account for Adam's whereabouts, except those of us who know he's He-Man! _She kept her face calm, but inside she began to seethe. _What are we going to say?_ Adam was already one step ahead of her, though.

"Nice try, Amanda, but unfortunately for you, my parents know that's not true," Adam replied steadily. "I was on Etheria, and they saw me there—as did Adora, Sea Hawk, Orko, and Teela."

Randor barely hid his surprise. Publicly they had never acknowledged Adam was on Etheria, simply because he encouraged them to keep quiet about his whereabouts whenever possible. It was better for people not to be aware of how frequently he and He-Man were in the same areas, he had warned them.

Sully squinted at Randor, catching a slight flicker in the king's eyes. "Well that's convenient," he sneered. "Why didn't we ever hear that before?"

"Because we didn't want the Horde to know where I was, and after I returned, with Teela presumed dead, explaining my previous whereabouts was not high on the list of priorities," Adam informed him, his blue eyes direct and challenging. Randor marveled again at how Adam could tell the complete truth without acknowledging he was He-Man. "Do you doubt I was there?"

"Yes! I think you're all lying!" Sully yelled, standing up.

"Uncle Sully, please calm down," Amanda begged, tugging on his maroon silk shirt. "I told you they would deny it! Getting upset won't help!"

Adam gazed at her sadly. "Why are you doing this, Amanda?"

Large tears fell from her dark brown eyes. "Why are you doing this to me?" she countered in a whispery voice. "I thought I meant something to you, Adam."

"And I thought the same," he replied, trying to turn the tables on her. "But you just wanted to be queen. You tried to take advantage of my grief, and I almost let you." Amanda's eyes flashed with anger at that.

"So you were with her!" Sully crowed triumphantly.

Adam didn't flinch. "Two years ago, we almost had relations, yes. But we didn't. And I haven't been near Amanda since."

"Liar!" Sully barked.

Adam's eyebrows pulled together as he controlled his anger. "Your niece is the one telling lies, Duke Sully." He stood and leaned forward. "We're not going to accomplish anything here. It's my word against Amanda's. I can see you're not going to believe me, so I suggest you take your leave."

Sully straightened up, tugging his shirt into place. "Obviously this is getting us nowhere," he agreed to Adam's surprise. "So we'll go. But mark my words, Prince Adam, you will rue the day you ever denied this child." He glared menacingly at Adam.

"Are you threatening my son?" Randor demanded, also rising to his feet. Marlena and Amanda stood as well.

"Not his life," Sully sneered. "But I will do everything in my power to see that he doesn't take the throne Randor. You can be sure of that."

"That's treason!" Marlena gasped.

"No it's not," Sully argued, his black eyes impossible to read. "He's not king yet." With that, he ushered Amanda, who had started sobbing softly again, out of the room. Duncan watched them go down the hall, then slipped into the room.

Adam slowly sank back down into his seat, feeling utterly drained, and held his face in his hands.

"Adam, are you all right?" Marlena asked, her face fully of worry.

Adam started to reply, but suddenly there was a slight buzzing in his head. He took a deep breath, trying to stave off the flashback as he felt the familiar sense of everything pressing in on him. Then, without warning, he was back in Skeletor's dungeon, pain streaking through his body as the villains delivered blow after blow, while Randor begged them to stop.

"Adam?" Randor said. Marlena lifted her hand to touch her son, but Duncan grabbed her wrist. Adam's breathing grew labored.

"Don't touch him!" he warned. "Adam! Snap out of it! It's just a memory, lad."

_Can't tell him I'm He-Man. He'll kill me, and then he'll kill Father. I have to stall. Gotta give Teela more time. Teela, please hurry. _Adam's mind exploded with remembered pain, and Skeletor's triumphant laughter rang in his head.

"Duncan, what's going on?" Marlena asked frantically, terrified by her son's blank gaze.

"He's having a flashback, isn't he?" Randor demanded. Adam turned slightly to him and seemed to look at him without actually seeing him.

"Yes, blast it!" Duncan barked.

_Skeletor suddenly turned his magic on Randor, slamming the king against the wall and using the magic to choke him._

_"No more games, Prince Adam. Tell me what happens when you call on the power of Grayskull to summon He-Man, or I will kill the king." _

"Father," Adam whispered hoarsely, his voice desperate and his breathing still harsh.

"Adam! Come on, fight it," Duncan urged. "It's all in your mind!"

Adam closed his eyes, struggling to concentrate on Duncan's voice. There was a slight easing to his posture. "Duncan," he whispered pleadingly.

Man-at-Arms knew that Adam was finally hearing him. Guessing from his reactions that one or both of Adam's parents were involved in the flashback, Duncan raised a hand to silence the king and queen. "Yes, Adam. It's me. We're all here at the palace. Everyone is safe. Whatever you're experiencing is just another flashback."

It seemed to Marlena as if time stood still while Adam's gaze finally cleared. He focused in on Duncan first, then spotted Marlena and Randor. The exasperated concern on their faces told him all he needed to know.

"Well," he said weakly, "I guess everyone knows now, don't they?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Randor asked quietly, his arms crossed. Tears pooled in Marlena's eyes. She was so tired of seeing her son suffer. She wished there was someone to blame, so they could make it stop.

Adam raised his hands helplessly. "I didn't want to admit I had a problem," he confessed, his own voice both subdued and worried. He glanced over to Duncan, his eyes anxious. "Man-at-Arms, would you please explain everything to them? I need to speak with Teela." At his friend's nod, Adam threw an apologetic glance towards his parents and strode out of the room.

* * *

Teela seated herself on a large wooden crate to think while the others conversed quietly. She was having a hard time reining in her emotions, and when Amanda raced by with Sully, tears streaming from her face and sobs echoing off the walls, Teela shuddered.

"How could he be so cruel?" Amanda asked Sully, barely loud enough for those gathered to hear. "I thought he was a good person, Uncle Sully."

"There, there," the duke said, patting her shoulder awkwardly. "We'll figure something out. We will not allow him to deny his child."

Hawk's eyes narrowed, picking up the way Amanda cast a covert glance over her shoulder to see if the others had heard them. It wasn't as if she was afraid of being overheard, but more like she wanted to make sure she was. _This whole thing stinks,_ he thought. Then he saw Teela's stricken face. _Oh, sea urchins, Teela, have a little faith in Adam._

"Teela, don't believe a word she says," Lana said urgently, sitting beside her daughter. "You know Adam better than that."

"But do you know what this could do to us?" Teela asked, half-angrily, and half in despair. "If Adam can't disprove it, his reputation will be ruined. He'll have to marry _her_ or the people will never accept him as king." Her voice broke slightly.

Lana met her daughter's eyes, her steadfastness, wisdom, and assurance radiating just as strongly as it had when she held the throne of Grayskull. Despite her fears, Teela felt calmed by her mother's presence and attitude. "The truth has a way of coming out, Teela. If needed, you could use the Sword of Truth to reveal it." Lana paused. "Where is the sword, anyway?"

"Locked in the weapons vault," Teela replied, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

Lana tilted her head to one side. "Anyone who has planned this accusation well will be conscious of what the sword can do."

"You're right, Lana," Adora said from only a few feet away. "Hawk, let's go check the vault and make sure that sword is where it's supposed to be." She winked at Teela with a gentle smile. "I think the captain would like to wait here for her fiancé."

Teela returned the smile gratefully. "Thanks Adora."

Miro watched them all with sorrowful eyes. He didn't know how Teela would take the truth about the whole situation. He certainly hoped Adam wasn't foolish enough to confess everything to her. Just then, the prince came down the hall, determination and anxiety written on his face. Miro grabbed his neck and started rubbing at it almost frantically. _He's going to do it. I can't believe it._

"Teela, I need to talk to you," Adam said tensely.

"Adam," Miro called urgently. His grandson looked over in surprise. "Could I have a word with you?"

"Can't it wait, Grandfather?" Adam asked respectfully, even as he walked over.

"No, it can't," Miro replied firmly. Once Adam was closer, he threw an arm around him and turned him away from the others. "Surely you're not thinking of telling Teela what happened between you and Amanda, are you?" he asked in a low voice.

The question served to remind Adam how little he knew of his own grandfather. Randor would never even imply that he should keep a secret from Teela. "Are you suggesting I keep a secret this important from my future wife?" he asked quietly.

Miro's mouth gaped open. When Adam put it like that, it did seem wrong, somehow. "Don't you think it would just hurt her?" he returned. That was part of the reason he had kept his own secret for so long—to prevent his family from being hurt.

"Sometimes the truth does hurt," Adam responded, his eyes searching his grandfather's face. "But lies, even lies by omission, are far worse. Believe me."

Miro regarded his grandson curiously. Adam sounded as if he spoke from experience on that one. The older man shook his head slowly. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I," Adam muttered. He walked over to Teela and held out a hand as Orko, Cringer, and Miro watched anxiously. Only Lana seemed at peace. "We need to talk in private, Teela."

* * *

The story came out haltingly. Teela, to her credit, did not interrupt once, but sat on the red couch next to Adam and listened to him all the way through. She fiddled with the golden tassels on a pillow cushion the entire time, not looking at him as she reminded herself over and over that Adam had said the child was not his, and that needed to be enough for her.

"I promised no more secrets whenever possible," Adam said as he concluded his story. He put a finger under her chin, forcing her green eyes to meet his blue ones, which begged for her understanding. "I guess I should have told you about this before, Teela, but I was hoping it was part of the past that wouldn't come back to haunt me."

"You should have told me when I asked you if you'd ever been serious about another woman," she agreed, her voice oddly tight. She dropped her gaze again, feeling confused. "Now I know why you didn't answer me directly."

Adam knelt in front of her on one knee, sinking into the plush red-and-gold carpet, and grasped her hands. Teela looked into his face again and her breath caught at the tears standing in his eyes. "I almost made a mistake with Amanda, but I swear you're the only one I've ever loved," he told her, his voice choked with emotion.

Teela remained motionless for several long minutes as she thought about it all. At first it seemed as if she were looking into Adam's soul, examining his sincerity, then she dropped her gaze, but still didn't say a word. It was a choice to trust him or not, she knew. In those few minutes, not only did all the secrets he'd ever kept from her run through her mind, but so did all he had entrusted her with.

"I'm sorry, Teela," Adam finally whispered, not knowing what else to say. Her green eyes flew open to meet his gaze, startled, and Adam swallowed hard at the mix of confusion, love, and anger in her face.

"For what?" she asked softly, an undertone of frustration in her voice. "It was before we were together. I should apologize for treating you like that—it drove you to her, in a way. But I didn't know the truth then, Adam. We've been victims of our own destinies, as well as our own choices." She raised a hand and lovingly stroked his face, her own expression softening. "And you've been honest with me. Maybe you should have told me before, but you came to me and told me when it mattered, Adam. I can't expect any more."

Teela leaned forward and brushed her lips against his gently. A small groan escaped Adam and his hands tenderly framed her face, causing a cherished feeling to flood her heart as he returned her kiss more deeply.

* * *

Miro watched them stroll, hand-in-hand, back into the conference room, where everyone had reconvened. Contrary to the tension of the king and queen, Adam seemed at ease. _It looks like Adam was right to tell Teela, _the former king thought. He glanced at Randor. _Maybe I should have done so as well. But it's too late now._

Adam glanced at his twin and picked up on her apprehension right away. "What's wrong, sis?"

"The Sword of Truth is missing from the vault," Adora said, her voice hard. "Whoever planned this did an extremely good job. They must have gotten to one of our guards."

"No way," Teela automatically responded, her eyes narrowing in anger as she let go of Adam's hand. She had trained them all. She couldn't believe any one of them would betray her or the kingdom like that.

"I don't see how else they could have stolen the sword without setting off the alarms," Duncan countered sadly, also feeling the keen disappointment of betrayal.

"Why were you looking for the Sword of Truth?" Adam asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Lana pointed out that anyone who planned this accusation well would have also included the sword in that plan," Hawk explained.

Adam frowned as he glanced around. Orko and Cringer were even in the room, which was fairly unusual. All of his family and closest friends were gathered together. He reached behind him and shut the door. "Sit down, all of you," he requested. "I think everyone needs to know the truth of what happened, and exactly what Lady Amanda is trying to say happened." _Sorceress, you should know this as well._

_All right…since you finally seem to have learned my name._ Adam smirked at that, causing curious glances among his family members.

Miro felt his jaw go slack. Adam was going to tell all of these other people—Lana, Duncan, Hawk, Adora, Orko, and the talking tiger—about what had happened? _Surely I heard him wrong,_ he thought frantically. But he hadn't, he realized as Adam gave them a condensed version of the story. Randor and Marlena seemed completely unconcerned that Adam was baring his soul to the group. Miro hardly listened to the story, since he had heard it already. Instead, his mind raced with his own memories and thoughts. _If I had told Randor, perhaps we would have found my firstborn son. We could have searched together. Adam wasn't afraid to tell the truth. Perhaps it's time I did as well. _Suddenly he froze. _But if someone out there is trying to discredit Adam, and perhaps even the entire royal family, with lies, how much more damage could they do with this truth? I can't tell them. I just can't._

"So what do we do now?" Hawk asked later that day as they finished their dessert after dinner that night. "Leave the people of Myrna and Bereathia to the Specter's mercy because we're caught up in some political game?"

"No, of course not," Adam immediately reassured his friend. "It just poses a little bit of a challenge. We need Beau, or someone else who has been in those caves, or even a map of them. I don't want to go in unprepared. And unfortunately, I don't think Sully will let his son near me right now," he added with a grimace.

"Adam's right," Duncan chimed in. "I'll send out a request to see if any of the masters or our soldiers have been in there before. Perhaps we can lead a group in within the next few days."

Hawk chafed internally at the delay, but said nothing. Adora smiled sweetly at him.

"Don't worry, Hawk," she said cheerfully. "I'm sure we can find a royal duty to attend to in the meantime."

Hawk's eyes widened in alarm, and the others laughed as they broke apart for the evening. As Hawk and Adora left, the pirate quickly realized that he and Adora were alone in the hallway they had chosen to take. He pulled her to a stop and took a menacing step towards her. Adora's face took on a wary look. "Hawk? What are you doing?"

"Attending to a royal duty," he growled at her, ducking his head to her face and pressing his lips firmly to hers. Adora sighed deep in her throat and leaned into him.

"This isn't what I meant," she murmured as they pulled apart.

"I know," Hawk admitted with a wicked gleam in his eye. He rested his forehead on hers. "I don't know if I can do this whole royalty thing, Adora."

Adora gave an unladylike snort. "Me either."

Hawk pulled away slightly so he could see her face better. "No, I mean I really don't know if I can do it." He put a hand up, then let it drop. "I can't live under public scrutiny like this, Adora. I'm used to being my own person, living life the way I want to." Hawk's hunter green eyes begged her to understand. "I can't be what you're asking me to be."

Adora felt cold inside. _Is he breaking off our engagement?_ "I'm not asking you to be anything, Hawk."

"Not on purpose," Hawk said quietly. "But by virtue of who you are, you ask me to be more than who I am."

"No," Adora protested strongly. "I ask you to be who you are—a good, honest, strong person with a caring heart." She placed a hand against his face. "I love you because that's who you are, Hawk. You're a good person."

"And what happens when the rumors turn on us, Adora?" Hawk asked, his eyes piercing hers. "Will you still feel the same way when someone learns what I've done in my life? That I was a true pirate and smuggler, that I provided supplies to the Horde by choice, all for a few gold coins?"

Adora gave him a self-deprecating smile. "Do you think you're marrying a spotless princess, Hawk? You have nothing on me."

"What do you mean?" he asked gently.

Adora shook her head. "Another time, Hawk. Just know that no matter what you might think, you are good enough to serve the people. And that's what you do as royalty. The people and their needs come first, and I know that you do put others before yourself. I've seen it. The rest is just pomp and circumstance. It means very little. If you don't believe me, ask my father and mother."

* * *

Randor cut off his large-screen communicator in disgust. It had been the fifth call since Amanda's "visit" the day before. The conversations all started pretty much the same. "We heard that Lady Amanda is…" The voice would trail off delicately, followed by a polite cough. "I am aware of the situation, but Prince Adam is not the father," Randor would explain brusquely, not bothering to feign ignorance. From there, things either got worse or improved, depending on who was calling. Rather predictably, Grod and Hutch were on Adam's side; two other calls—from nobility with daughters of marrying age--had been against him. But the last one, from Randor's own brother-in-law, had by far been the worst.

"I've watched for years as you failed to rein that boy in and teach him to act like a man," Pierce had said. "His cowardice has been a black mark on the entire family. Now you're refusing to make him own up to his responsibilities?"

"Adam has done more for this kingdom than you could possibly understand," Randor had snapped back at the view screen, frowning deeply. _These are rich comments, coming from you,_ he added silently. Until Adam and Duncan had straightened out Pierce's son Jeremy a few years ago, the boy had been as self-centered as a person could get.

"Sure he has," came the sarcastic response. The screen grew fuzzy, then re-focused. "He's run after every girl and from every battle." Pierce snorted. "You never should have named him as heir, Randor. He's an embarrassment."

"How dare you!" Randor roared angrily, rising from his chair.

His brother-in-law's face grew alarmed for a brief second, then softened. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. Look, Randor, I love Adam as a person. He's my nephew, and he has a good heart. But you can't let him get away with this one. It's time he took responsibility for his actions."

"Lady Amanda is lying," Randor growled. "On the night in question, Adam wasn't even on Eternia. He was on Etheria, trying to figure out a way to rescue us from the Horde."

Pierce's mouth dropped open slightly. "She's claiming it happened that night?"

"Yes," Randor ground out. "She claims Adam went to her for 'comfort.'"

There was a slight pause. "Couldn't he have done so before going to Etheria?"

"No," Randor said, shaking his head.

Pierce regarded him steadily through the screen, his amber eyes suddenly sharply in focus. "You seem very sure."

"Pierce, I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Adam was on Etheria."

Reflecting now on the conversation, Randor dragged a hand down his face. How on Eternia had Adam put up with all these false accusations and beliefs for all these years? No wonder he didn't seem stressed about this latest rumor. He was used to it all. Randor groaned, thinking again of all the times he had secretly—and occasionally publicly--harbored poor opinions of his own son...before he'd known Adam was He-Man.

"Are you all right?" Marlena asked him as she smoothly entered the room. Randor groaned again.

"No I'm not," the king admitted. Marlena came up behind him and began to massage his shoulders. "The nobility are up in arms, and a good number seem to believe Adam's guilty of fathering Amanda's child. The fact that he has seemed a bit flirtatious, fun-loving, and cowardly in order to keep his secret and protect his own family has caused them to doubt him very quickly. How has Adam put up with all these misconceptions?"

"Practice," Marlena answered dryly. "You and Teela gave him a lot of practice, dear."

Randor lowered his eyes to the ground, shame filling his heart. "I know. I need to talk to Adam. Where is he?"

There was a slight pause. "He left for Grayskull this morning, just before lunch," Marlena finally answered. Randor's shoulders grew tense under her fingertips.

"Is he going after the sword?"

"I don't know."

* * *

_A/N: Reader of the Week Award goes to Busard for realizing the Sword of Truth could fix everything oh so conveniently. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your view) for y'all, I wasn't interested in an easy fix.  
;-) And it's only going to get messier. Bwahahahaha!_

_The good news is I think I'm far enough ahead now in my writing that I can post every five days or so. (Yes, I do actually write way ahead of what I post...how else do you think I get the final chapters up so quickly??) Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, and please continue to do so not just to my story but others' stories as well...it really does help keep writers motivated!_


	16. Chapter 16: Disappearance

_A/N: Y'all already know I don't own this stuff. I think Mattel does, in which case I wish they'd bring it back and do it right this time. :-)_

* * *

"Hello, Adam." The "new" Sorceress, her black-tipped white feathers immaculate as always, did not move from her throne. Her voice was cautiously friendly.

Adam guarded his thoughts carefully. Although Serena had served with Teelana for a couple of months before taking over, he still hadn't adjusted to her being in charge. "Hello Serena."

She frowned at him. "Why do you insist on doing that?"

He smirked at her. "Because I can."

Serena shook her head. "It's a good thing Teela did not take this post. With her temper, she would have incinerated Eternia's champion long ago."

_Well that would certainly have solved a lot of problems._ Adam unintentionally let down his mental defenses, and as his thought echoed clearly in both their minds, their eyes locked. A smile tugged at the corner of Adam's mouth, and Serena found herself giggling.

"Yes, I suppose it would have," she said, knowing he wasn't serious. "Particularly for Skeletor and Hordak."

"And you," he added with a full grin.

Serena's smile faded. "Have you come for the sword, Prince of Eternia?" she asked calmly.

"No, I haven't," Adam answered to her surprise.

"What?"

Adam recited what Lana had told him and watched as the color drained from Serena's face. "You didn't know," he stated when he had finished his story. Although it wasn't a question, Serena shook her head anyway.

"No, I didn't," she said faintly. "I knew that you were the only one who could reclaim the sword, but I didn't know it was the sword that helped you bear your burdens." She gazed directly into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Prince Adam."

Adam blew out a light breath, tamping down his frustration. "Well, there's nothing to be done for it."

"You don't feel you've recovered enough to claim the sword?" Serena inquired, her brow furrowed. The idea seemed to bother her greatly.

Adam shook his head. "I had another flashback yesterday," he admitted. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to tell when I'm ready."

Inexplicably, the Sorceress' face grew calm again, her earlier distress nonexistent. "I'm sure you'll know somehow, Adam."

* * *

Adora and Hawk stood on the balcony watching the sun set. "It's almost worth all the trouble of being royalty just to see this view," Adora sighed as she leaned back into Hawk's embrace.

"I like looking at you better," he rumbled in her ear. She turned to him, and smiled demurely at the desire burning in his green eyes. They had had a pleasant dinner alone in a small room just off the kitchen, Chef Allen fairly singing as he and his double chin served them an exquisite meal. _I can't couldn't remember a more romantic night together,_ Adora thought as their lips brushed gently.

The sound of boots snapping on the floor broke their kiss. Arms still around one another, they turned to see Teela stepping out onto the porch, her mouth tight with worry. "I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but have you seen Adam? He wasn't at dinner." Her voice carried the normal frustration Adora was used to hearing when Teela couldn't find Adam, but the anxiety on Teela's face kept the princess from being amused.

Adora's eyebrows rose in alarm. "I haven't seen him since he left to go to Grayskull just before lunch," she answered, concern flooding her. "He didn't come back?"

"No, and I'm getting very worried," Teela said. "I can't raise him on the communicator."

Adora closed her eyes for a few seconds. _Sorceress, is Adam still with you?_

_No,_ came the answer, full of unease. _He left several hours ago. Without his sword. _Before Adora could voice her next request, Serena continued. _I will try to contact him._

"He left Grayskull hours ago," Adora repeated, a knot growing and tightening in her stomach. "The Sorceress is going to try to find him."

Teela frowned, biting her lip at the same time. _What if he had another flashback, and is hurt?_ She shook her head. "We need to get ready to search in case she doesn't have any luck. Can you find your parents, Adora? I'm going to get my father, Orko, and Cringer." _Blast it, Adam, why didn't you take that cat with you like you always do? Why did you go alone?_

* * *

"The Sorceress can't contact Adam, and she hasn't had any luck finding him either," Adora said as she joined the group less than a half-hour later. In addition to those Teela had already mentioned, Ram-Man, Fisto, Stratos, Buzz-Off, and Mekaneck were also present. At Adora's words, Marlena swallowed hard and raised her chin, determined not to break down in front of the masters.

"We'll break up into teams of two," Duncan said. "We believe that someone has been trying to kill Adam and Adora, but trying to make it look like an accident, so-"

"Then why was Adam out there alone?" Fisto demanded.

"I don't know," Duncan admitted. "He's made that trek many times before; perhaps he just wanted some time to himself. Now as I was saying, I don't want anyone out there alone. Adora, you're with Mekaneck. Teela, you go with Hawk. Orko and Ram-Man. Buzz-Off and Stratos. Fisto, you're with me. King Randor, I think you should stay here with Queen Marlena in case Adam calls in."

Hawk realized Duncan had included someone who knew the area as well as Adam's secret on every team except for Buzz-Off and Stratos. Although Stratos and Mekaneck had learned the truth when Adam allowed them to see him transform, they had not figured it out. So, like all those who had seen He-Man and She-Ra become Adam and Adora because of the Sword of Truth, their memories had been wiped out by the Sorceress' spell. Only the people who had figured it out on their own had been unaffected. Still, Hawk mused, Duncan was right in this pairing. The two of them had their own form of night vision and could fly. They could cover much more ground that way.

"I want everyone checking in here at least once an hour," Duncan continued briskly. "We'll focus on the areas between here and Grayskull."

"What about m-me?" Cringer asked, his ears down.

"You can come with me," the king said. He placed his hands on his hips in a determined stance as he eyed Man-at-Arms. "Marlena and I aren't both needed here, Duncan, and I won't rest until my son is found."

"I understand sire," Duncan said, lowering his head in acquiescence. "But please take a guard with you as well."

"There's no need for that," Randor assured his old friend. "Cringer will guard me well, won't you Cringer?"

"W-with my life," the normally cowardly cat agreed strongly, with his feet wide apart in a distinctly Battle-Cat-like stance. Adora's lips curved into a tremulous smile. When it came to Adam, Cringer was all courage.

* * *

They searched halfway through the night before Duncan ordered everyone home to get some rest. "We'll pick up a full-scale search at dawn," he said. Wearily, he gave orders to the palace night guard to issue an alert: every member of the guard was to report in a half-hour before dawn. Then, while the rest of the search party went to try to get some sleep, Duncan labored over maps and assignments, staying in the communications center in case Adam called in. But although the machines and computers around him beeped and hummed, the communicator remained silent.

_This is all my fault,_ Duncan couldn't help thinking miserably as he worked. _If Adam had had his sword, he would have been all right. Ancients, what am I going to do?_

"Do not blame yourself for this, Duncan," Lana said, startling him so badly that he knocked over a glass of water as he whirled around. The water splattered all over the map he'd been marking up, causing the freshly drawn lines to run.

"Blast it, woman, don't sneak up on me like that," he snapped. "I thought you were still home." He grabbed a towel and tried to clean up the wet map, dabbing at it carefully. "What are you talking about, anyway?"

"Man-at-Arms, we have worked together for far too long for me to not know what you are thinking," Lana admonished him gently as she too located a towel and sopped up the water. "I know you feel Adam's disappearance is your fault."

Duncan's neck went limp and his head fell between the arms braced on the table. "If he'd had his sword," he murmured lowly, so the one guard in the room couldn't hear, "then maybe-"

"You don't know what happened," Lana interrupted. "Stop agonizing like this. You're not doing Adam or yourself any good."

Duncan took a deep breath as he pulled himself together. "What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked a bit brusquely. "You went home yesterday."

Lana shrugged delicately with one shoulder, her cream jumpsuit hugging her body. "Serena contacted me an hour ago. She thought I might want to know my future son-in-law is missing." She raised an eyebrow at him haughtily.

"Oh." Duncan turned slightly red at the implication in her tone. "I'm sorry. I should have called you."

Taking in the circles under his eyes, Lana steered him towards the door. "Duncan, go get a few hours' sleep, or you won't do anyone any good."

"But the guard assignments," he protested.

"Can wait," Lana finished for him. "I will stay here in case Adam calls in."

* * *

Duncan slept fitfully, and woke up feeling worse than he had when he went to sleep. His dreams were full of Adam in danger, at Skeletor's hands, imprisoned by Hordak, lost in the caves of the Specter…he'd even been dead in one dream. Duncan shuddered as he put his helmet on. An urgent pounding on his door had him sprinting across the room, yanking the heavy door open. The night guard in charge, Saul, stood there, his dark face lined with disbelief.

"Man-at-Arms, sir, you said to bring all communications possibly relating to Prince Adam to you," the guard said, holding out a piece of paper.

Duncan read it quickly, his own face draining of color. _Ancients, no._ "Have you told anyone else of this yet?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice official.

"Miss Lana was there, so she saw it, but other than that no one has seen it or heard about it sir. I came straight to you as ordered," Saul answered, unoffended by the question.

"Good," Duncan replied. "Don't share this with anyone. I need to inform the king and queen first."

There was a slight squeak from his right. Startled, Duncan glanced down the hall to see Adora standing with her left hand on the wall, as if to hold herself up. He walked a few steps to get to her.

"What's wrong?" she demanded, fright filling her voice. Her face was pale.

"Come with me," Duncan said, grasping her upper arm gently. "We need to find your parents." He looked to Saul. "Get Lana, Teela and Hawk for me, please, and bring them to the king's conference room. And have the guard mobilized and ready for their briefing in fifteen minutes." Saul saluted and left to locate his captain.

"Duncan, what's happened?" Adora asked, almost desperately. "Is Adam-?"

"We still don't know where he is," Man-at-Arms interrupted. "But something has come up, and I need to talk to all of you."

* * *

He didn't waste any time, once they were all gathered. Somehow Miro, Orko, and Cringer had gotten word that something was up and were present. Duncan decided that was for the best after all.

"What I am about to tell you is no doubt all over the kingdom already," Duncan said somberly. "We got a report in less than a half-hour ago. Lady Amanda was found dead last night in her house—murdered."

"Oh my God," Marlena whispered.

"Broil me in butter and call me a flounder," Hawk muttered. She'd been a pawn after all.

"A witness described a heavily muscled man, at least six feet tall, with blond hair, purple pants and pink tunic leaving her house shortly before she was discovered," Duncan added reluctantly.

Randor blanched and rose from his chair. "Someone's framed Adam?"

"Or," Duncan countered, then stopped.

"Surely you don't think Adam did it!" Randor protested indignantly, his face reddening.

Duncan's face was whiter than Lana had ever seen it. "If he had a flashback at the wrong moment…"

"Father!" Teela exclaimed, a hand going to her mouth for a few seconds. Then it dropped in a fist as she demanded, "How could you even think such a thing?"

"He's right," Randor admitted heavily, suddenly seeming to deflate before their eyes as he sat back down. "He and I have seen it in some of the soldiers we fought with years ago. The flashback becomes all-consuming, and the person doesn't even know what he's doing."

"That's true," Miro agreed, his heart heavy. "But what's this about Adam having flashbacks?"

The room grew tense. They had all been so preoccupied with worry that they had forgotten Miro didn't know about Adam's flashbacks, or his secret.

"That's not important right now," Randor assured Miro. "We have to focus on finding Adam right now, Father. And dealing with these rumors."

"Well I don't believe any of it," Adora stated flatly, her fists on her hips. Her eyes sparked with anger. "I've seen a lot too during my time with the Horde and the rebellion, and Adam is the strongest, kindest person I've ever met. He would never go against his own belief that all life is precious, not even in a flashback."

"I agree with Adora," Hawk interjected. Of all those present, he had known Adam the shortest amount of time. Surprised by his vehement support, Lana raised an expectant eyebrow. "He couldn't even kill Hordak, even though he had every right to after what that monster put him through." Adora flinched slightly, but no one appeared to notice. Miro's brow furrowed in confusion again. _When did Adam have a chance to kill Hordak? _"So if he's never killed anyone, how could he do it during a flashback?"

"Darren," Teela said, ice running through her body at the memory. "Adam killed Darren."

"And according to the report, Lady Amanda was stabbed," Duncan informed them, his voice hollow, "just as Darren was."

"I can't believe you people!" Adora chided them all, looking around at her family and friends. "You've known Adam forever! How can you even think-" She broke off abruptly. "I'm going to get She-Ra and look for Adam. The rest of you can do whatever you want." She turned on her heel and strode out of the room. Hawk glanced around, shrugged apologetically, and followed her.

"Adora's right," Orko said, levitating a little higher as he spoke. "Adam would never hurt anyone."

"Shame on you for even thinking it," Marlena agreed, glaring at her husband and father-in-law.

"It's not that I don't have faith in Adam, it's that I know how powerful these flashbacks can be," Randor protested.

"Stop it!" Teela yelled, shaking. Everyone turned to her. Her face was flushed with anger; tears stood in her eyes. "I don't care what anyone thinks about this mess with Lady Amanda. I just want to find Adam. The briefing with the Royal Guard and the masters starts in five minutes. This doesn't change the fact that the Crown Prince—my fiancé—is missing, and we need to find him, no matter what anyone in this room thinks he may or may not have done."

* * *

"I'm not sure that blowing up at your family was the best way to handle the situation," Hawk teasingly reprimanded She-Ra as they flew on Swift Wind's back.

"I know, I sounded more hot-headed than you usually are," she admitted. "But I'm so worried about him, and they're standing around wondering if he's committed some heinous crime when they should know better!" The anger entered her voice again.

"But whether he did or not affects where and how you look for him," Sea Hawk pointed out. "If he did it and he's in hiding, then chances are we'll never find him. If he's innocent, we need to start looking in places where someone could be holding him captive." His words made something click in She-Ra's mind.

"Snake Mountain," She-Ra said suddenly. "Those four tried to take Adam and me. Perhaps they succeeded this time and took him to Snake Mountain." She glanced down at the ground whizzing by them below. "Change direction, Swift Wind. There will be enough people looking between the palace and Grayskull. We'll head over to Skeletor's old headquarters and see if anyone's home."

"As you wish, She-Ra," Swift Wind said with a snort as he turned to the right.

* * *

The briefing was, as expected, difficult. No matter what rumors were floating around about him, Adam was still loved. The fact that he'd been missing since yesterday afternoon was not promising—especially since he had a homing device he could have activated if he had been in trouble. A rumble went through the room as Duncan explained the situation.

"Where are He-Man and She-Ra?" Fisto muttered to Stratos, who shrugged. Cringer, who was nearby, flattened his ears against his head and wisely said nothing.

Duncan selected Roboto and Mekaneck to go to Lady Amanda's residence with him to find out first-hand what had happened, and analyze the information as best they could. Everyone else was paired up to go search for Adam.

Cringer and Buzz-Off went to Grayskull, using their keen sense of smell to pick through all the scents from people searching the night before. They caught Adam's trail fairly easily. He appeared to have started home by the same way he came to Grayskull. Cringer was thankful that Adam hadn't been to the castle much in the last few months, or he would have had a lot of explaining to do to Buzz-Off. Instead, the trail was straightforward and clear until they got part of the way into the Evergreen Forest, where the ground dipped into a slightly boggy area. The trail suddenly became fainter.

"Bzzz, I don't understand," Buzz-Off said, his wings whirring in frustration. "He came this way, but on the way back, his trail stops. It's like he just disappeared into thin air."

Cringer sniffed around desperately through the damp leaves and grass, but he couldn't find He-Man's smell either, which he had secretly hoped would be the case even though he knew Adam didn't have his sword. The more the tiger searched, the more worried he became. _Something's really wrong,_ he thought, his large yellow eyes scanning the forest frantically. "I think we'd better g-go to Lady Amanda's house," Cringer finally said. "If Adam really was there-"

"We should be able to pick up hizzz scent," Buzz-Off finished. "Let's go, Cringer!"

* * *

"His eyes? I didn't get a good look at his face," the cloth dealer replied, his own thin gray eyebrows drawn together as he recalled the scene. "I already told you what I did see. Just some big blond guy leaving the house around the time they think she was killed. For all I know, he could be innocent."

"His vital signs indicate he is telling the truth," Roboto informed Man-at-Arms. Duncan sighed and allowed the man to leave. The dealer had just been about to leave town when they arrived, so they had to take care of talking with him first. Now they turned their attention to Amanda's house.

It was impressive, as far as houses went, was Duncan's first thought. Her uncle had certainly taken care of the family. The structure was about three stories high, solidly built with the light gray, smooth stone of all the Bereathian residences. The windows were delicately arched, some stained with brilliant forest scenes. A pebbled sidewalk led up to the front door, lined with short, green leafy plants highlighted by bright yellow flowers.

One of the royal guardsmen assigned to the area greeted the trio and brought them into the room. The body had not been moved yet. Duncan's heart sank even more as he surveyed the scene. He realized he had hoped something here would immediately prove Adam hadn't done it, but he doubted he would find it. Whoever had planned this had done so nearly perfectly.

_But there has to be a mistake,_ Duncan assured himself. _There's always a mistake._

Amanda's body laid face-up on the floor in the sitting room, a small cut on her throat and a dark red stain covering most of her chest and stomach. The blood had clearly splattered some before she fell; it was on the flower-patterned cushions of the chair and couch. Most of it, however, had seeped down onto the cream-colored rug. As Duncan turned away, Roboto began snapping photos that would be stored in his memory for later use. Then the robotic being and Mekaneck examined Amanda's body, picking up stray pieces of cloth, lint, and anything else that might prove to be valuable evidence later.

Duncan watched as they scraped something from under Amanda's fingernails. His gaze wandered back up to her face. She looked peaceful…so innocent. So unlike the first time he had seen her as she gazed at Adam with undisguised lust and longing on her manipulative face. He'd known she would be trouble from the start. _Blast it, I told him to stay away from her. He should have been more careful._

"It shouldn't be too hard to discover who did this," Mekaneck said, interrupting the older soldier's musings.

"Why's that?" Duncan asked.

"Lady Amanda scratched him," Roboto said, holding up a small bag of the skin they had removed from under her nails.

* * *

"Nothing," She-Ra spat in disgust as they completed their walk through Snake Mountain. It was just as dark and dank as always, with a lot more cobwebs. Clearly no one had been in the lair in months. Hawk was standing in the mouth of the snake, looking out over the desolate area surrounding the mountain, when he heard She-Ra let out a vicious yell and a thundering crash shook the floor below him. As the trembling faded, he turned to see She-Ra on her knees, sobbing. Before her were the broken remains of Skeletor's council table.

"She-Ra!" he said in alarm, rushing to her side. "What's wrong?" His heart seemed to stop as the thought entered his mind that her connection with her twin might have told her Adam was…Hawk swallowed hard against the sense of loss that threatened to consume him at the very idea.

"I deserve it," She-Ra gasped between sobs. "This is what I've done to so many families. Now it's my turn. I've brought this on us. I'm so sorry, Adam."

Hawk didn't dare question her within the boundaries of Snake Mountain, deserted or not. He had no way of knowing what sort of spells or recording devices might be located here. "Come on, She-Ra," he said gently. "Let's get out of here." Swift Wind, sensing his mistress's distress, flew into the snake's mouth at that moment. She-Ra allowed Hawk to guide her to the pegacorn, and mounted up. Once Hawk was aboard as well, Swift Wind took off.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about?" Hawk asked quietly, sitting up as straight as he could to avoid getting She-Ra's hair in his mouth.

"We have to find Adam," She-Ra said desperately, trying to avoid the question.

"Adora," Hawk rumbled, his voice still gentle. "What did you mean?"

There was a short silence. Finally, She-Ra said, "Down, Swift Wind." The pegacorn obliged immediately, swooping down in a way that normally delighted his friend because of the speed and grace with which he did it. Today, though, she merely slid from his back without a word and held her sword in the air.

"Let the power return," she said, her voice choked. As Adora, the sword tip fell heavily to the grass below, and she turned her vivid blue eyes to Hawk, tears streaming down her face.

"I imprisoned so many people, Hawk," Adora confessed. "As Force Captain, I ordered the enslavement of thousands." She swallowed hard. "Families were torn apart as the children were sent to Horde schools and training camps, parents to the mines…some of them died in those mines." She closed her eyes and swayed on her feet. Spirit moved up behind her to steady her, his breath warm on her neck. "There were thousands of lives ruined, and it was my fault, Hawk. Mine. What I'm feeling, the anxiety, the sickness in my stomach, I did it to all of them." Hawk gathered her in his arms and held her. Adora didn't move her arms to return the embrace, but stood there as if stunned by her own realization. "Thousands," she whispered over and over. "Thousands of families."

"You weren't in control," Hawk reminded her firmly, one hand stroking her hair.

"Yes I was," Adora argued. "I knew what was happening to those people." Unbidden, the image of a black-haired boy screaming as his parents were taken away came to her mind. Adora had stood there, unemotionally watching for a moment. Then she had stepped between them. "I told a little boy that his parents were bad people who were trying to hurt the Horde, and that we needed to take care of him to keep him safe from them," she said, shaking her head against Hawk's chest.

"But you were brainwashed to believe that, and Shadow Weaver's spells kept you from disobeying," Hawk reminded Adora. "You can't hold yourself responsible. You didn't have a choice."

On one level, Adora knew he was right. But in her heart, the guilt she felt over her actions ate away at her like a disease. It was weighing her down, a physical ache in her chest that accompanied the ball of fear in her stomach.

"Adora, snap out of this," Spirit whinnied at her, stomping his foot. "We must find Adam."

_He's right. _Adora sniffed and squared her shoulders as she drew back from Hawk. Wiping at her eyes, she pulled herself together with a supreme effort. "You're right, Spirit." She raised her sword again. "For the honor of Grayskull!" Moments later, the three were on their way again, headed back towards the palace.

* * *

Cringer and Buzz-off arrived at Amanda's house as Roboto, Man-at-Arms, and Mekaneck were finishing up. As soon as they started sniffing for Adam's scent just outside the house, Cringer caught it and panicked, looking up at Duncan with wild eyes.

"A-Adam's been here," the cat stuttered in disbelief. Duncan's eyebrows rose, his face a picture of despair.

"Wait," Buzz-Off said, taking a deep breath. "It doesn't smell the same as his trail at Grayskull, Cringer."

The tiger took a deeper breath, then sniffed lightly a few times, then took another deep breath. "Y-You're right, Buzz-Off." He bared his teeth in a goofy grin of relief. "It's fainter, Duncan."

"But it might not mean anything," Buzz-Off said, his antennae twitching wildly. "There are so many smells from people coming in and out that I can't distinguish them all. I might not have caught Adam's scent at all if we hadn't just been tracking it." The group exchanged uneasy glances. The prince was looking guiltier by the hour.

"Are there any unfamiliar scents, people you don't know?" Duncan asked, grasping at straws.

Buzz-Off shook his head. "Like I said, there have been too many people in here. It's impossible to tell."

Duncan gritted his teeth in frustration. "Can you two tell where the scent leads?"

Cringer put his nose to the ground and began sniffing again, Buzz-Off right behind him. They followed it to a nearby stream, which bubbled happily, oblivious to the worry consuming the group. There, the scent disappeared, and though they spent the next two hours searching the banks, they couldn't pick it up again.


	17. Chapter 17: Of Jungles & Caves

Adam came to very slowly, feeling as if he were fighting his way through the Tar Swamp. It was nearly impossibly to open his eyes, although he did manage to do it for a few seconds, only to find himself in a blur of color. He squeezed them shut tightly and realized he also had that fuzzy feeling he got when Kobra Khan knocked him out with his sleep gas. Adam tried to push himself up, but it was hard to move; the most he could manage was to roll over onto his back. He opened his eyes again, and slowly an unfamiliar canopy of treetops slowly came into focus. He frowned at it. _Those aren't trees that grow in the Evergreen Forest. Where am I?_

Eventually Adam eased himself up unsteadily, his arms shaking slightly, and looked around. The leaves were a darker green here, and grew much closer together than in the Evergreen Forest. There were several unusual flowers of a brilliant orange, bright fuchsia, and bold turquoise. Adam's brow furrowed. He remembered talking to Serena, heading home from Grayskull…then nothing. _What on Eternia happened?_

Adam raised a hand to rub at his eyes, and for the first time noticed a slight sting on his face. He touched his cheek gently, feeling several scratches there. As he pulled away his hand, he noticed blood splattered on his arm, and he quickly looked down at the rest of his body. His clothes were stained with blood splatter. Adam began to shake. _By the Ancients, what's going on? Did I have a flashback? _As he slowly regained feeling in his limbs, he moved various parts of his body carefully, but could find no injuries. The scratches on his face could hardly account for the blood on his clothes. _Where did it come from, then? Did I hurt someone?_ _Ancients, please don't let that be the case._ Having no answer to his questions, Adam closed his eyes. _Sorceress! Sorceress, can you hear me? Serena!_ There was no response.

Opening his eyes again, Adam flipped on his communicator, but it didn't respond. He grasped his homing device, only to find that it was smashed beyond recognition. There would be no help that way. Adam struggled to calm himself as panic threatened. _Pull yourself together, Adam. _He took a few slow, deep breaths. _How long was I out?_ He looked up at the sky, but couldn't get a clear idea of what time it might be; the tree cover was too thick.

"Okay, think, Adam, think," he muttered aloud. "The first thing I need to do is get home. I've got to figure out where I am." He knew by the scent of the air that he was on Eternia. And as he looked closer, he saw that there were a few familiar species of evergreens mixed in with the dark green, broad-leafed trees. The fuchsia flower with its wide, full petals and subtle yellow streaks especially niggled at his memory. It was only found in one place on Eternia, and that was…he swallowed hard as the truth hit him. _Ancients, I'm in the Banshee Jungle!_

In addition to being dangerous, the jungle was immense. He glanced around, but there were no tracks leading in. It was as if he had randomly appeared in the middle of the jungle. Adam realized with a sinking heart that he could be lost in here for weeks without finding his way out. And he was here without food, water, or any other provisions.

"Teela's the one who always wants to test her survival skills, and I'm the one that winds up stranded in the jungle with no idea where I am," he grumbled to himself as he struggled to his feet. "Perfect. Just perfect."

* * *

As the second day drew to a close, Adam's friends and family gathered back together. The darkness outside seemed to reflect the sorrow and anxiety in their hearts.

"He's been missing for well over a full day," Marlena said in a worried tone that only a mother could pull off. "We've searched every inch of the Evergreen Forest, and all around Amanda's home."

"Hawk and I checked Snake Mountain as well," Adora added, her voice subdued. "Where do we look next?"

Duncan shook his head. "I don't know. He could be anywhere."

"I say we go into the Specter's caves," Hawk declared in a dangerous tone. There was no doubt in his own mind that the caves in the mountains between Bereathia and Myrna were where the Specter was hiding out. "This has all happened too fast not to be linked together somehow."

"You could be right," Randor agreed. "It is hard to believe it is all a coincidence."

"If Skeletor were around, I'd blame him," Teela muttered. She found herself wishing for He-Man. He was such a steady rock when things like this happened. _Of course, he's the one missing, dummy, _she chided herself.

"A few of his minions are loose, though, and were obviously after Adora and Adam," Duncan pointed out. "Perhaps we need to divide our efforts between finding them and confronting the Specter."

"I agree," Hawk said immediately. "Adora and I will head for the Specter's caverns."

"Don't go alone," Duncan countered. "Ask Beau to go with you, and take Mekaneck."

"I'll go too!" Orko volunteered.

"Good," Randor said with a nod, his eyes hard with determination. "Duncan, you and Teela know all of the hideouts Skeletor's crew used. Take Cringer and Lana and search every one of them."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Duncan replied.

"My father, Buzz-Off, Stratos, and I will continue searching the areas near Grayskull," Randor continued, "along with half of the Royal Guard. We'll be on skeleton crew here until Adam is found. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sire," Teela replied, knowing the last order was for her to disseminate to her men.

Miro listened, a feeling of awe and shame filling him. If he had put these same efforts into finding his son, would he have been successful? Instead, he had assumed for years that the boy was dead, and by the time he had gone to the oracle and learned differently, it was too late to reveal the truth.

Or so he had thought.

Looking now at his family and his grandson's closest friends, Miro realized for the first time the size of his error. He also began to rethink his decision to keep his secret. They would certainly be upset about him keeping something so important from them, but they would not turn on him as his own father would have, had he learned the truth. _When this is over, I need to tell them,_ he thought, feeling a mixture of joy and anxiety at the concept. _It's time they knew the truth._

* * *

Teela walked into the queen's study the next morning, looking for Marlena. "She's not here either," she muttered. She turned to leave, and stopped dead at the sight of a pile of envelopes on the ornate wooden table against the wall. Her mouth went dry as she approached the table stiffly, already knowing what she was about to find. She picked up one of the creamy white cards. The royal emblem at the top was blurred through the tears in her eyes. She blinked rapidly and began to read.

_King Randor and Queen Marlena of Eternos_

_invite you to share in the joy_

_of their son, Prince Adam,_

_and Lady Teela, _

_daughter of Duncan and Lana,_

_as they pledge their love to each other_

Teela couldn't read anymore. Her knees gave way and she sat heavily on a chair, tears streaming silently down her face. The invitation fell from her numb fingers as the fear and worry consumed her for a moment. _Adam, where are you? _"Where are you?" she repeated aloud in a whisper.

Just then, Marlena entered her office. She stopped short as she caught sight of Teela sitting there. "Oh Teela," she said softly. "My dear, dear girl." She dropped beside Teela and hugged her. After a few seconds, Teela returned the hug, hiccupping from her efforts to keep from sobbing aloud.

"It will be all right, Teela," Marlena said with an assurance she didn't quite feel herself. "You'll see, my dear. It will be all right."

Teela took comfort in the older woman's strength and confidence, and slowly she was able to push the worry to the back of her mind where it belonged. "I'm sorry," she said, pulling away and wiping at her eyes. "It just took me by surprise." She gestured at the invitations, but did not look at them again.

"Of course," Marlena said in understanding. "Now then, I assume you were looking for me. What did you need?"

"Oh," Teela said, shaking her head slightly. "One of the guards said there's a man from Bereathia here to see you."

"Well, then, I suppose I'd better see what he wants," Marlena said easily. She made an instant decision, knowing Teela needed a distraction. "Come with me, Teela."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Teela agreed quietly, her head bowed slightly as she followed the queen.

* * *

A slight man, nervously stroking his red-and-white mottled mustache, waited for them in the shadows. His clothing was heavily stained at the knees, Teela could see even from a distance. As they approached, he stepped into the sunlight.

"Lee!" Teela exclaimed, recognizing the gardener they had visited only days before. It seemed a lifetime ago. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to speak to you, Teela," he said, looking slightly confused. "But one of the guards said you were gone already, searching for Prince Adam. That's why I asked for one of the royal family."

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Yes," Lee said, his small, light brown eyes darting about as if expecting an attack. He began speaking rapidly, almost rambling. "Yesterday I heard about the accident that happened after you left my gardens, and about Prince Adam disappearing. I swear I didn't know, Captain Teela. I didn't. He wanted me to pay what I owed him, and I said I might have the money if you and Prince Adam bought your wedding flowers from me. He asked when you were coming, but I never thought he would try to hurt any of you, I swear it."

"Slow down," Marlena said, trying to soothe him. "What are you trying to tell us?"

"Who?" Teela asked at the same time, her urgency matching Lee's. Before the man could answer, he slapped at his neck, then dropped to the ground silently.

"Guards!" Teela yelled at the top of her lungs, pushing Marlena back into the shadows, drawing her blaster, and scanning for an enemy. "Guards!" Within seconds, a half-dozen guards had surrounded them. "Take the queen inside, immediately!"

As the guards ushered Queen Marlena inside, She-Ra ran over, having transformed when she heard the shouts. "What's wrong?" she asked, her sword drawn. She looked down at the still figure Teela was kneeling next to. "Lee!" she exclaimed in surprise. She dropped down at his side. His skin was a sickly gray color, and his breathing was a hoarse whisper. "What happened?"

Teela let out an expletive as she stood and slammed her boot down in one smooth motion. "A death beetle," she explained brusquely. "It's an extremely rare bug that is excessively poisonous." She looked sadly at Lee, who no longer seemed to be breathing. "We have no cure," she added softly. "He'll be dead within the next minute or two."

Before Teela had even completed the sentence, She-Ra had placed her hands on Lee's chest and focused Grayskull's power into him. The warmth flowed from her hands into his body, and She-Ra nearly shuddered as the poison seemed to fight against her magic. It fairly burned her hands, but she persevered, driving it out from his body. Teela alternated between watching She-Ra's scrunched-up face and looking around for any danger. Her instinct told her this had not been an accident.

At last She-Ra eased back, her breath slightly labored. "Whew! That was a lot tougher than I expected," she admitted. She looked at Lee's face in satisfaction, noticing his improved color. "He's going to be out for at least a day, Teela, maybe more."

"Blast," Teela cursed.

"What now?" She-Ra asked, surprised at the outburst.

"He was telling us something important," the red-haired captain explained. "He said something about owing someone money, and the person knew we were coming to his gardens. He said he didn't know the person would try to hurt us."

"The Specter," She-Ra breathed.

"My thought exactly," Teela agreed grimly. "I'm going with you to Bereathia."

* * *

The assassin cursed wildly under his breath. Failure was not a concept with which he was familiar. That death beetle, that little piece of vivid green and orange exoskeleton full of poison, had taken him nearly six weeks to locate, and cost more gold coins than he cared to think about. And it had been meant for the king. Instead, he'd had to waste it on that stupid gardener. Of all the times for She-Ra to show up…the assassin ground his teeth together. Of course, he reminded himself, all else was going according to the master's plan. This was simply a minor setback. That realization eased his temper, and he silently disappeared into the shadows, exiting the palace grounds without drawing any attention to himself.

* * *

Adam rose slowly, his body stiff from sleeping on the ground. He hadn't managed to find any water the day before, and his mouth felt as if it were glued shut from the lack of moisture. He was able to solve that problem with a few dragonberries on a nearby bush. He made a face as he sat against the dark brown tree trunk and ate the maroon berries. He was spoiled by the berries he was used to eating at the palace, which were grown in soil that was just the right acidity and given just the right amount of moisture. They were delectably sweet. These, in contrast, were distastefully sour. Still, Adam was reminded as his stomach rumbled, he was in no position to be picky.

He frowned. _I'm going to have to find something more substantial to eat, or I'm not going to last a week out here. And I've got to find water._ Unfortunately, there were only two streams in the Banshee Jungle, and one of them came out of the Lake of Oblivion. So even if he found a creek, he wouldn't be able to drink the water or eat the fish, because he would have no way of knowing which stream it would be. One sip of the brook coming from the Lake of Oblivion, and he would be lucky to remember how to walk.

Adam finished his meager breakfast of berries and leaned his head back against the tree for a moment. He wondered what his family and friends were doing at that moment. If he had disappeared as suddenly as he thought he had, they must be frantic with worry. _But the Banshee Jungle? They'll never think to look for me here. What possessed me to come here? Or did someone else bring me here? I've got to figure out a way to contact Serena._ Adam put a stop to his tumbling thoughts and forced himself to relax. For a moment he concentrated on the things around him, then he gradually let his mind to go blank as he closed his eyes. With a sudden rush, the feeling that someone wanted to speak to him flooded not just his mind, but his entire being. Adam jerked forward from the tree. _Serena! Is that you? Adora? Teela?_ But there was no answer, and just as suddenly as it had come, the sense was gone, leaving Adam feeling bereft.

"Blast it," he ground out, rising to his feet. "Blast it all!" Letting out a yell, he swung around and hit the tree trunk with the side of his fist, the rough bark scraping it painfully. Adam stood there for several moments, the sting of his action bringing him back to his senses slowly. He straightened, glanced around to ascertain his direction for the day, and started walking once again.

* * *

In the end, it was Adora, Teela, Hawk, Orko, Fisto, and Mekaneck who arrived in Bereathia that afternoon. Rather than go to Sully's castle, where they knew they wouldn't be welcome, the group went to Beau's farm.

"Tyler?" Adora called cautiously as they searched the farm for the manager. A horse poked his head out of a nearby window, neighing in response to her voice. Teela looked over, a vague familiarity touching her memory at the sound. The horse was a grayish white, with a blue-gray mane that almost completely covered his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Tyler demanded roughly, appearing almost out of nowhere. There was no grin showing between his brown mustache and beard today.

"We need to talk to Beau," Teela said, stepping forward. "He said he's been in those mountain caves. We need to know about them."

"Lord Sully's forbidden anyone in Bereathia to help you," Tyler growled, his dark eyes unreadable. He reached out and slowly grabbed hold of a pitchfork. "You'd better go home."

"He won't allow anyone to help the royal family?" Teela challenged in a dangerously quiet voice. Fisto and Mekaneck flanked her, hands on their hips. "That sounds like treason to me."

"Me too," Hawk agreed, crossing his arms as Adora narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, me three," Orko said, crossing his thin arms as well and glaring at the farm manager.

"Look, I don't want trouble," Tyler protested, his voice growing pleading, even as he raised the pitchfork defensively. "But I can't go against Duke Sully."

"I can," came Beau's voice from behind them.

"Beau!" Teela called, turning with relief. Her friend stood there, his gray eyes large as if he couldn't believe he had spoken. "Beau, we need you to tell us about those caverns, please!"

Beau swallowed nervously, opened his mouth, and closed it again. "I can't," he finally croaked.

"What?" Adora demanded. "But you just said…"

"All I can do is show you this," Beau interrupted. He strode over to the barn, determination on his face.

"Master Beau, don't!" Tyler cried out. He stepped in front of Beau and placed his sun-darkened hands on the young man's shoulders. "Think about what you're about to do!"

Beau looked into his manager's face, then over to the group. "Why do you need to know about the caves?" he asked, his gray eyes unreadable.

"We think the Specter's in there," Teela answered immediately, ignoring Hawk's heavy hand on her shoulder. "And maybe Adam." Her voice broke only slightly, but her green eyes shone with unshed tears. Beau's mouth tightened ever so slightly in sympathy and understanding.

"After what he did to Lady Amanda, you want us to help you?" Tyler scoffed.

"Adam didn't do anything to her!" Adora snapped. She looked to Beau imploringly. "Beau, you got to know Adam. Do you really think he got her pregnant and killed her?"

Beau stared at her for a full minute, then sighed. Adam had reached out to him in friendship despite of the fact that he must have known Beau still had feelings for Teela. "No, I don't," he said quietly. He clasped his hand to Tyler's shoulder. "I must do this, Tyler. I should have done it last week."

"What's going on?" Fisto asked, confused.

"That's what I'd like to know," Orko muttered, waving his arms.

Beau approached the barn where the horse was hanging its head out. He reached out and stroked the animal's face gently, almost apologetically, then grabbed hold of the lock and swung open the doors. Whereas the horse had had only a deceptively small window to look out of, now large doors opened wide enough for Swift Wind himself to fly through. The animal reared, neighing triumphantly, then ran out into the sunlight, showing his white wings to the stunned group. He spread his wings wide and took off into the air, circling once, twice, before landing again and walking over to Beau and gently snorting at him. Beau raised a hand to pet the horse, but stared at Teela with an apology in his eyes.

"You? You're the Specter?" Adora gasped.

"I don't believe it," Teela murmured. Mekaneck, Hawk, and Fisto stepped threateningly towards the young man.

Beau again opened his mouth but said nothing. He cast a pleading glance to Tyler. The farm manager glared at his boss and friend, then relented with a sigh, his shoulders relaxing.

"Perhaps we'd all better go into the house and make ourselves comfortable," he suggested in a defeated tone. "This may take a while to explain."

"No, I don't think so," Hawk said, his hunter green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "We'll stay here."

Tyler grunted but didn't press the issue. "Fine. Beau can't tell you what's going on because he has a spell on him that prevents him of speaking about the Specter or even where the guy is, or going too close to the caverns where the Specter lives."

"Orko?" Teela prompted him, her narrowed eyes never leaving Beau's slowly reddening face.

"He's telling the truth, Teela," Orko admitted, sounding a bit chagrined that he hadn't picked up on the trace of magic immediately.

Tyler went on to explain that less than a year ago, an idealistic Beau had been actively recruited into the Specter's gang. "The Specter spoke against the tyranny of the nobility, and said that all men should have a chance for equal happiness," Tyler said. "Beau was always the type of person who wanted to change the world for the better. So he went with the group to their mountain lair. But eventually he figured out that the Specter had another agenda. Unfortunately, he was never able to tell me what it was—if he ever knew at all," Tyler concluded, with a glance at Beau.

"You were the one who delivered those bags of gold to the people in need," Adora interjected, the realization coming to her quickly. Her suspicion had been right, she was sure.

Beau nodded; it was all he could manage. Hawk felt an involuntary smile grow on his face.

"I knew there was something about you I liked," he joked.

"The Specter found out about that quickly, of course," Tyler added. "He dismissed Beau from the group and put these spells on him, rather than killing him."

"Mighty nice of him," Fisto commented, a slightly sarcastic bite to his words.

"Orko, can you remove the spells on Beau?" Adora asked.

"I can sure try," the floating Trollan responded.

"Uh-oh," Teela muttered under her breath as Orko cracked his knuckles.

"Let's see," he muttered. One hand rested on his scarf-covered chin, and the other in the general vicinity of his temple. Then he snapped his fingers as the perfect spell came to him. "Let all that's good and true and well, join together to break that spell!"

Without warning, a hole appeared below Beau's feet, and he promptly fell, landing with a loud splash. Spluttering noises assured them he was all right.

"Orko!" Teela groaned. "Hang on Beau, we'll get you out!" She pulled out her grappling line and lowered the rope down to him. "Can you climb out?"

"Yes!" he called back. Within moments he had joined them, shaking the excess moisture from his arms. His once-blue shirt now looked nearly black. "I guess you won't have to dig a new well after all, Tyler," Beau said wryly.

Orko chuckled nervously. "Heh, heh, I must have done something wrong," he mumbled, embarrassed. "Let me try again." Teela started to protest, but Beau put a hand on her arm and shook his head to silence her. Hawk's eyes narrowed as Beau's hand lingered before finally dropping. "Let's see," Orko said. "Oh, I've got it! Let the truth now be awoken, let the binding spell be broken." He wiggled his fingers wildly.

They all looked at Beau expectantly. "Well?" Teela prompted him. "Can you talk about the Specter now?"

"I never knew what he was after," Beau said cautiously. His sharp jaw grew slack. "That's the first time I've been able to speak about him without it being a question."

"Can you tell us about the caves?" Hawk asked urgently.

"I was able to tell you some of it before," Beau reminded him. "But only because I was trying to warn you." He shuddered. "That spell was very complex." He looked at Orko with awe. "You must be some magician to have broken it." Orko tugged uncomfortably at his scarf.

"Aw gee, thanks," he muttered humbly.

"Is it really broken?" Mekaneck asked reasonably. Beau wasted no time in testing it further.

"The entrance by the waterfall I showed you is the best one to try," Beau said, his eyes growing wider because he could actually speak about it. "It's the most well-guarded entrance, but there are very few cave crawlers there, so it's safest."

"Where would the Specter keep Adam?" Teela asked, striving to keep her voice steady.

Beau shook his head. "That I don't know, Teela. The guards that he 'captured' were actually converts to his cause. I know my father made it sound like many, but in reality it was only two of our men and three of Hutch's. I never saw any prisoners there." He lifted one hand helplessly. "I can't even figure out why he would want Adam. Are you sure he's there?"

"No," Teela admitted, "but we have pretty good reason to believe it. Can you take us in?"

Beau hesitated a few seconds, reflecting. "Not now," he said firmly. "We'll gather up supplies, then go to the forest at the base of the mountain and set up camp—a cold camp, no fire—and wait. When they leave for their next raid, we'll go in."

Teela was already shaking her head. "And leave Adam in his clutches for who knows how much longer? No way."

Beau squared his shoulders as his sorrowful eyes met her determined ones. "Teela, if Adam's still alive, that won't change in the next day or two. The Specter will have a reason for taking him, and he won't deviate from that plan unless he's forced to."

"What do you mean, if he's still alive?" Mekaneck asked.

Beau swallowed hard, but didn't mince words. "If he intended to kill him, then Adam's already dead."

* * *

Marlena absently took the sandwich offered to her as she marked off the already-searched areas on the map in front of her. She wasn't hungry, but she wasn't about to pass out from lack of nutrition when her family needed her.

Every section of the Evergreen Forest had been searched. Most of the kingdoms, villages, and towns of Eternia had already begun searching their own provinces. They had found nothing. Randor had already given the order to the guard that tomorrow they would spread out to other, more remote areas of the planet.

Marlena stood and arched her back. Every footfall had her turning with hope; hope that her beloved son had returned to them. He was He-Man, after all. It would take a lot to defeat him. This time, however, the footsteps belonged to Duncan.

"You should get some rest, Queen Marlena," he suggested gently. The pain in his black eyes was as great as her own, and almost involuntarily, Marlena's hand reached out to stroke his cheek gently.

"My dear Duncan," she said. "I don't think even Randor has worked as hard as you to find Adam."

Man-at-Arms swallowed hard and blinked rapidly to hold back the threatening tears. "He's like a son to me, Marlena."

"I know," she said quietly. Her chin raised slightly in determination. "We will find him, Duncan."

"Yes, my queen," he answered, hoping she believed the words more than he did.


	18. Chapter 18: Caverns

Adam's foot caught on a root as his leg cramped, and he stumbled forward a few steps before catching his balance. Trying to get rid of the sudden dizziness, he eased himself down onto a relatively flat rock and put his head in his hands. He knew he was becoming dangerously dehydrated. He had managed to find bowl plants, which naturally held water, but only a few of them had actually had any of the precious liquid. It evidently hadn't rained here in at least a week, and the rest had dried up.

_I'm going to have to thank Teela for making me memorize what that plant looked like, _Adam thought with a rueful grin_. Especially after the hard time I gave her about never needing it_. Drops of sweat trailed down his forehead. _Too bad I've probably sweated out all of the water I found yesterday. I don't even want to think about how much water I'm losing now. _The jungle air was hot and humid, even at night, and now, in the heat of the day, Adam was losing moisture by the second.

_What am I going to do?_ Adam thought, looking up at the canopy above for an answer.

A rustling reached his ears. Adam jerked his head to the side, listening hard. There were dangerous animals in the Banshee Jungle. He reached for the heavy stick he had managed to find, taking comfort in its weight. He had never cared for fighting with a staff, but Teela was relentless as far as his training was concerned and refused to allow him to duck learning how to defend himself with all kinds of weapons—including the staff. Duncan had turned a deaf ear to Adam's complaints; he had insisted He-Man needed to be able to fight with anything.

_I'll thank them both when I get back, _Adam promised himself. He stood up slowly, his back to the tree and his breath coming in light, rapid bursts as the adrenaline kicked in. A small brown animal burst through the bushes, but before Adam could register exactly what it was, he had brought the staff down on it, breaking its neck instantaneously.

"Well, I guess that's dinner," he said aloud, feeling infinitely more cheerful at the idea of having something other than fruit, roots, and leaves in his stomach.

Adam checked his pockets and found the small hunting knife Man-at-Arms had insisted he carry with him at all times. _I'll definitely have to thank Duncan as well,_ he mused. He'd forgotten about it until now, but he was glad he had it as he skinned the animal, started a small fire, and roasted the small rodent-like creature. It wasn't easy to eat, even as hungry as Adam was, because his mouth was so dry. After putting out the fire, the lost prince grabbed a few leaves he knew were edible and chewed on them as he walked, just to get the moisture into his mouth.

The trees whispered restlessly, hinting at something brewing. Adam frowned, glancing up again. He had thought he had enough time to get another mile or two in, but it seemed to be getting dark already. He wasn't crazy about wandering around the jungle in the dark. Perhaps he should have stayed by the fire he had made earlier. He stopped, hesitating, looking from the way he'd come to the path ahead of him.

Something dripped down his back, and it took Adam a few seconds to realize that it was too cold to be sweat. He looked up in time to get a drop of water in his eye.

"Rain," he whispered in disbelief. Wonderful, glorious, wet rain. The rustling increased, and large, heavy drops poured down rapidly, soaking him and everything else. Adam opened his mouth to catch the raindrops, but rejoiced even more in the fact that the bowl plants would be full again. They were plentiful enough in the jungle that he might have enough to drink until he found his way out.

_Thank you,_ he thought with heartfelt emotion. _Thank you._

* * *

Adora pulled her knees tight to her chest as she stared at the ground. It was early the third morning since Adam had disappeared. She felt sick when she thought of the places he could be. _What if he fell into the abyss? No, he's got to be in these caves. _She didn't move as Hawk came up to her and settled beside her, blowing out a breath as he tried to remain patient. Sitting around waiting for the Specter and his 

crew to take off on a raid was not sitting well with him, but Beau could not be moved from that decision, and Mekaneck and Adora were reluctant to go in without him. Finally Hawk looked carefully at Adora and noticed her lined face.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Adora shook her head and snorted lightly. "For years I went without knowing I even had a brother," she said quietly, feeling the whole situation was ironic. "Then I was on Etheria while Adam was here, and I rarely knew exactly what was going on with him. Now that I've been on Eternia, I feel as if part of me is missing when I don't know where he is."

"Your bond has grown stronger as you've spent more time with him," Hawk commented. "That only makes sense, Adora."

"I guess so," Adora agreed. There was a short silence. Then she glanced at Hawk, trying to gauge his reaction to her next statement. "I can't leave my family again, Hawk. I've grown to love them too much."

He put a strong arm around her shoulders. "I told you before that you belong here, Adora. I'm even more certain of it now than I was then."

Adora wanted to ask if he would stay with her, but something held her back. She sensed that he wasn't ready to give her a solid answer. Her mind returned to Adam.

_Where are you, brother? Talk to me. Come on, Adam, I know you can sense me._ But there was no response.

* * *

Serena paced restlessly, anxiety consuming her. She had not yet managed to develop the sense of nearly-constant calm that Teelana had had as the Sorceress. Adam had been missing for four days, and her nerves were frayed. She didn't sense that he was in pain, nor did she believe he was dead, but she worried about him anyway.

"I never should have put the sword back," she muttered.

"You wish you had denied my request?" Zodac asked calmly.

Unsurprised by his presence, Serena whirled towards him. "Yes! Adam might have need of his sword, and instead it is here! I have no idea what's happening to him-" She would have gone on, but Zodac interrupted her.

"What does it matter to you, Serena of Eternia?" he asked, his voice still smooth.

"Adam is my responsibility as much as this castle is!" she yelled at him, her frustration boiling over. "I should be helping him, and instead I'm stuck here in this pile of rocks! I can't even find him with Grayskull's magic! I can do nothing!"

"You are wrong. You can send help to him," Zodac countered.

Serena froze. "What do you mean?" she demanded.

"Send Adam's sword to him."

Hope flared in Serena's heart, then faded as the impossibility of that idea became clear in her mind. "What? How? Adam's not here to claim it, and I don't know even where Adam is. _You_ won't tell me. The only other one who might be able to claim it from the castle is Adora, and she's in Bereathia, trying to find Adam." The frustration in her voice grew as she gave words to the bitter circle she had helped create.

"No," Zodac replied, leaning forward in his chair. "There is another. Someone who might be able to find him."

* * *

"Come on, Beau," Teela pressed, glancing up at the afternoon sun. "Adam could be in terrible danger. We can't wait!"

Beau shook his head stubbornly. "The odds aren't in our favor to begin with, Teela. Going in there when they have their full numbers is foolish."

"Let's do something productive," Adora suggested, tugging Teela down onto a log next to her. "Tell us about the Specter, Beau."

"I've never seen his face," Beau admitted. "He always wore a hooded cloak. We all did, but most of us took them off every now and again. He never did. We all shared stories, but no one knew his. He would give these inspiring, rousing speeches, we'd cheer, and off we'd go on another raid. But after a few months I noticed our numbers weren't growing, and we weren't doing the things he said we would. We weren't helping people, we weren't changing Eternia for the better. Instead, we were part of the problem." Beau frowned.

"I started paying more attention after that, to what he said when he wasn't giving speeches. I realized he has a deep anger, maybe even hatred, against someone—but I don't know who. He disguised it well, but it was definitely there."

"Does he have any powers to worry about?" Fisto asked, clenching his large, metal hand.

"Some magical—there's that spell he put on me," Beau replied thoughtfully. "He does seem to be able to communicate with animals in some way—that's how we got the winged horses. And he's the absolute best fighter I've ever seen." He glanced teasingly at Teela. "No offense, Captain." Teela crossed her arms and gave him a mock glare. "He's big, too—maybe a little bigger than you, Fisto."

"What about the rest of his men?" Mekanek asked. "Are they as well-trained?"

Beau nodded, then made a face. "Somewhat. They are intensely loyal, though. Whatever he has that allows him to control animals may extend to humans as well, because no one ever questions him or turns down his requests," he added, sounding as if the thought had just occurred to him.

"How did you go against him, then?" Orko asked.

"I'm not sure," Beau admitted. "I just knew what he was doing to those people, robbing from them like that, was wrong."

* * *

The wind picked up so strongly that Adam could feel it even in the dense jungle. There was a tremendous clash of thunder, and lightning flashed through the heavy canopy above. Within seconds, a downpour had drenched the prince. The water that had been so welcome only hours ago now streamed into his eyes, nearly blinding him in its intensity, even through the trees. The wind pushed at him sideways; Adam, weakened from the days of travel and malnutrition, staggered a few steps and nearly fell before catching himself on a young tree trunk, its bark nearly smooth under his hand.

"This storm's dangerous. I've got to find shelter," he muttered to himself. A strange creaking reached him through the howl of the wind; a tree less than ten yards from him slowly uprooted, its branches crashing down about a foot away. Adam cursed under his breath. The top part of the tree was now directly across the path he'd been following since that morning. He would have to go off the path to get around, and in this mucky area, mud pits were a real danger.

The branches extended far to the left of the path. Adam looked to the right just as another flash of lightning lit the forest, showing a small cliff not far away. He squinted through the driving rain, trying to determine if he had just seen a cave, or if it had been a trick of the lightning. Suddenly a flash hit a tree behind him, exploding chunks of wood in all directions and causing Adam to jump away, his heart pounding wildly. He quickly decided to check for the cave. It couldn't be anymore dangerous than the jungle was in this storm.

Mentally crossing his fingers, Adam darted through the trees, watching for mud pits. Another flash of lightning gave him the location of the cave, and he shifted direction slightly. He lunged into the dry cave and promptly collapsed against the wall, panting heavily.

_I sure hope nothing lives in here,_ he thought, glancing around. There were no bones or nests around, both good signs. It was a relatively narrow cave; stretching out his legs he could touch the one side with his feet while his back was against the other wall. It was pure stone; no dirt, no moisture, just sharp rocks that, now that he thought about it, were digging into his back.

Adam leaned forward, but before he could move any more, he heard and felt a rumbling. "What on Eternia-?" he started to ask, but before he could finish, the entrance to the cave collapsed, trapping him in complete darkness.

* * *

Teela prowled around the perimeter of the camp. Adora gave her a sympathetic glance. This waiting was wearing on all of them.

"Where's He-Man?" Fisto asked abruptly, causing Teela to halt.

"What?" she asked.

"Where's He-Man?" Fisto repeated. "The Prince of Eternia is missing; I would think that would be a big enough reason for him to come back from his hiatus."

There was an undercurrent of something in his voice, something Teela couldn't quite put her finger on. Adora sensed it as well.

"We weren't able to contact He-Man," Teela said dismissively.

"I didn't know he was taking it so hard that he had cut himself off from everyone," Fisto muttered.

"What do you mean?" Adora asked, frowning.

Fisto reddened slightly, but didn't turn to the princess. Instead, he kept his gaze on the Captain of the Guard. "We all know he cared for you very much, Teela. Some of us figured part of the reason that he chose this particular time to take an extended vacation was because of your engagement to Prince Adam."

Teela looked helplessly at Adora; her mind went blank at this latest rumor. The former rebel leader understood and came to her friend's rescue.

"Fisto, if you had seen He-Man after the Horde was defeated, you wouldn't have recognized him," she said soberly. "He needed a complete rest. Even the Sorceress and the King agreed to that. I know for a fact that he is overjoyed with Teela and Adam's engagement, because he told me so himself."

"Oh," Fisto said. Mekaneck, who had been listening in wordlessly, spoke up. "When is He-Man coming back, then?"

Adora and Teela exchanged glances. "That I don't know, Mek," Adora admitted. "Soon, I hope."

* * *

The darkness was absolute, and the air was choked with dust. Adam coughed harshly. "I've got to find a way out," he murmured. The cave hadn't been very high; not wanting to bump his head, Adam reached up gingerly. The second his fingertips grazed the rock above him, his arms locked and he flashed back to another collapse…

_He-Man strained to hold up the ceiling of the tunnel. The freeze ray hadn't worn off completely yet, and his muscles weren't responding as they should._

"_Got to…hold it…" he grunted under the roar of the collapsing mountain. He had to give the villagers time to get out._

_His legs gave way, and he suddenly found himself sitting on the floor. The rumbling gradually faded. He locked his arms, figuring it was the only way he would be able to hold up the cavern ceiling for more than a few minutes. He was already starting to lose consciousness; the air was so thick with dust that he wasn't getting enough oxygen. The creaking of settling stones echoed through the cave._

_His wrist communicator beeped, and a voice came over it. It sounded as if it were far away, and He-Man realized he must be dreaming. She-Ra was the only one on Etheria who could get through on that communicator, and she had gone to get the rebels. He was supposed to protect the villagers._

"_I failed," he thought faintly. "Couldn't hold them off. I hope the villagers got out. Hope the rebels can save them before the Horde gets them."_

_There was a dull roar, and vibration traveled through the mountain into his body. He-Man knew on some level that his arms were starting to give from the strain._

"_Adam," said a voice. It sounded like Adora or She-Ra; her voice was so soft he couldn't tell. Maybe it was an angel. His mother had told him about angels before. The voice had been nice, like he imagined an angel's would be. _

_Adam._

This time the voice definitely wasn't his sister's soft tone. It was commanding. Adam opened his eyes, but could see nothing. _Ancients, it wasn't a dream. I'm really trapped in a cave. On Etheria?_

_Adam._

Slowly he realized that his fingers were barely grazing the top of the cavern. He wasn't holding it up. As he lowered his arms, his hands brushed his forearms. A long-sleeve shirt. He wasn't He-Man.

_Adam._

Finally the prince was able to focus, and he realized he knew this voice. He lowered his head instinctively as he answered.

"I'm listening."

* * *

"Anything at all, Duncan?" Randor asked, his voice low.

"No, Your Majesty, I'm afraid not," Duncan admitted, also keeping his voice down as he glanced over at Marlena, who had fallen asleep on a low-back, red-and-white striped couch that had been brought into the communications center.

"What about that gardener, Lee? Did he wake up?" Randor asked.

"No, sire," Duncan said.

"Blast it all, Duncan, this will be the fourth night he's missing," Randor swore softly. "I'm really worried about him. If he's in hiding, he's doing an excellent job of it. No one's seen him at all."

Man-at-Arms shook his head. "Randor, even if Adam did have a flashback and kill Amanda, which I don't believe, once he realized what he'd done, he would have turned himself in. And he loves his family too much to cause all this worry. If he could have, he would have gotten word to us that he's all right."

Randor's mouth tightened, knowing Duncan was right. "I agree. Which means he's either being held against his will, or he's lost or injured," the king deduced. He left the third possibility unspoken. Neither of them wanted to even consider that Adam might be dead. "Has there been any word from Teela or Adora?"

Duncan shook his head. "As far as I know, they're still waiting for the Specter to go out on a raid."

* * *

_Well, it's about time, Prince of Eternia. I have been waiting for quite some time for you to be ready to listen to me._

There was almost an undertone of amusement in the voice. Adam swallowed hard. "Who are you?"

_You already know who I am. You want to know my name, but like you, He-Man, Champion of Grayskull, Adam, Prince of Eternia, I have many names. You have called me Good and Love. Others have called me the Way, the Truth, and the Light. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. My people have called me Savior, Father, and God._

"The Christmas story," Adam whispered.

_That is only part of the story, and it is a story that belongs to Earth. Eternia has its own._

"What do you want of me?" Adam asked, but unlike before, when he had voiced the question out of annoyance, this time it was filled with respect.

_Very little, actually. I want you to have faith in me as you have had. I want you to acknowledge who I am. I want you to love others enough to share what you know of me with them. _

"That's it?" Adam asked doubtfully.

_Cynicism, Adam? I thought you were going to leave that to Hawk._

Adam started at these words. How had this being known about that?

_You are one of my children, Adam. I know all that goes on with you. I watch over you because I love you._

Adam swallowed. He had felt that complete sense of love after he had "died," but the idea that this being loved him enough to watch over him constantly…instinctively he looked up at the ceiling. "Forgive me for asking, but given all I've been through this year, how can I believe that?"

_Have I not been with you through it all? When you thought Teela had died, did I not comfort you? When Horde Prime had nearly killed you, and Adora and Teela were about to be defeated by him, was it not I who gave you the strength to stand one last time and hold your sword against him? As you wandered _

_through the jungle these last days, did I not make sure you had enough to eat and drink so that you would survive the journey here?_

Feeling properly chastised, Adam bowed his head once more. "I'm sorry."

_Adam, as vast as Grayskull's power is, as intelligent as you are, both are infinitesimal compared to Me. I created the universe. I created you. The Sorceress has spoken of your destiny, but it is I who created that destiny. It is I who love you._

Adam had no more to say. He couldn't figure out what to say to this being…Good, as he had called it before. But Good apparently wasn't done explaining what He wanted from Adam.

_There are those who need to know my love, but their own hatred, anger or sadness get in the way. I cannot speak to them. I need someone such as you to be my voice when needed…just as you were my voice to the one you call Skeletor. _

Adam jerked upright at that. "I was?"

_Yes. Adam, you have always believed in the goodness of others. You have always believed people can change. All I ask is that you continue to do so, and to share my love with others when the time is right. _

Adam frowned thoughtfully. "I guess I can do that. But how will I know when the time is right?"

_You will know. Grayskull's power and wisdom will not always be with you, Prince of Eternia, but I will be. Turn to me in times of need. You will not hear my voice as you do now, but I will lead you._

"How will I know it is you?" Adam asked, confused.

_You will know,_ the voice repeated.

"Well, how do I get out of here?" Adam asked desperately as he sensed Good's presence withdrawing. "Can you help me?"

_Be patient, my son. My timing is perfect._

* * *

Hawk woke as soon as Beau touched his shoulder. "Hawk, it's time to go."

The pirate rolled out of his bag, and saw that their whispering and rustling had brought Adora and Teela to consciousness almost immediately. They rose without question, and Fisto and Orko soon followed. Mekaneck was already awake, having been on watch with Beau.

The sky was barely gray with light as the party shoved some food down and made their way towards the cave. No one paid attention to the early hour or the chill in the air. They were set only on getting inside and getting to Adam. With no word from the palace about the prince's whereabouts, they no longer questioned if he was in the Specter's caves. Teela could barely keep from running ahead; the day of inactivity had frayed her nerves.

"Twelve went out, which means there are at least ten more," Beau said quietly as they made their way through the woods. "Four will be on the other side of the mountain guarding the western entrances, and shouldn't be a problem. Two will be guarding the south entrances, close enough to this one to help if we give the guards enough time to call for help. There should be four guards on this eastern side—two in this cave entrance, and the other two patrolling."

"So the most we should have to deal with is six," Fisto said with a grin. "Sounds unfair to them."

"You're forgetting the natural dangers of the caverns," Beau reminded him, his gray eyes serious.

"Sh," hissed Adora. "We're getting close."

Orko broke off from the rest of the group, floating crept along the bottom of the cliff, then straight up. Beau led the rest of them onto a small, narrow trail that led up to the cave entrance. Once they were in place, Orko popped up in front of the cave entrance. "Hello?" he called. "Anyone there?"

"Who are you?" a voice demanded. The expected two guards came out, laser guns ready to fire and aimed directly at Orko.

"Well I'm Orko, and I heard the Specter lives in these caves. I want to join his group!" the little Trollan ad-libbed, floating slightly to his right to force the guards to turn away from his friends. The roar of the nearby waterfall disguised their steps as they drew closer. Finally, Teela switched on the freeze ray located in her armband, and with two rapid shots, stunned both of the men.

"That went well," Fisto commented.

"That was the easy part," Beau snorted, pulling something from one of the guards' belts.

"What's that?" Hawk asked suspiciously.

"Antivenom, in case someone gets scratched by a cave crawler," Beau answered as he pocketed the small vial of amber liquid. "If that happens, you need to drink it within the first hour. After that, paralysis takes over completely, and you'll suffocate to death."

Orko shuddered and floated close to Teela. "Don't worry, Teela, I'll protect you," he quipped nervously.

Teela laughed softly as they entered the cave. "But who's going to protect me from you?" she teased him.

They stole along as quietly as they could, their footsteps seeming loud in the stillness of the caverns. There was a low light all around them, thanks to Orko's magic and a few artificial lights the Specter had apparently installed. There also seemed to be a shimmering light coming from a slight sparkle in the rock; Adora found herself distracted by its beauty more than once.

Beau had warned them that the network of caves was huge. He estimated that it would take two full days to search everywhere for Adam in this section, before going through a tunnel to another section that was closer to the royal palace.

They came to the first open chamber. Here, the sparkling crystals were even more numerous, giving a vibrating light to the entire cavern. They moved in easily and checked the perimeter, looking for holes or cracks that might be used as prisons. A light pink flower, its petals full and soft, loomed over Adora as she checked a hidden area. She turned to join the others, only to feel something sticky and wet around her arm.

"Help!" she cried to the others, while at the same time, she drew her sword and whirled around. The tongue-like pistol slipped further up her arm, wrapping around her body. It began dragging her towards its mouth-like flower. Adora swung her sword, but the flower sensed the movement and twisted her so that her sword cut harmlessly through the air.

"Hang on!" Hawk cried as he and Fisto reached her. Fisto grabbed hold of her arm and pulled with all his might. Hawk took out his laser cutlass and sliced through the pistol. The flower made a high-pitched groaning noise as it recoiled, and the three ducked out of the cubby-like area.

"Are you all right?" Hawk demanded, holding Adora to him tightly. She nodded. "What was that thing?" Hawk asked Beau.

"A night hunger lily," he replied. "I should have reminded you all. They can be any color, but are usually in hidden crevices like that one, waiting for some sort of prey."

"How do they survive in the darkness like this?" Fisto asked curiously.

"They don't use photosynthesis like regular plants," Beau responded, his face lighting up. They'd evidently hit on a passion of his. "They capture some sort of prey and feed on it for months. Something our size could feed a plant for almost a year."

Adora shuddered. "Ugh, no thank you," she protested.

"We'd better make sure we work in pairs from now on," Teela admonished them all, annoyed she hadn't made them do it before. "I don't want anyone else eaten by night hunger lilies."

"We need to watch for shadow beasts, night spiders, and cave crawlers as well," Beau reminded them.

Teela swallowed hard. "Night spiders?" she repeated, making a face. "I hate those things. They almost had me for lunch one time. He-Man saved me."

"He always does," Fisto commented under his breath to Mekaneck. The other smiled and nodded in agreement. The hero definitely had a soft spot for the captain.

* * *

"So Zodac and I believe the castle may allow you to claim the sword in order to bring it to Adam," the Sorceress concluded, her eyes luminous. "Are you willing to try, my friend?"

He nodded bravely, though inwardly he was trembling with fear. He followed her through Grayskull's halls, to the deepest part of the castle. The Sword of Power hung there, suspended in mid-air.

"Go ahead," she said gently.

Gingerly, he grabbed hold, closing his eyes at the same time. The expected jolt of pain did not come forth. There was a slight resistance, a flood of feeling that his soul was being examined, then the sword was his. He nearly dropped it in surprise.

The relief on Serena's face was almost comical. "Thank the Ancients," she whispered. "I wasn't sure…but never mind. You must use the sword to find Adam. It will lead you where you need to be. Go quickly, and be careful."


	19. Chapter 19: Trust

_A/N: Sorry for the delay! I don't own these guys, I just borrow them to escape the stresses of everyday life...blah blah blah..._

* * *

Feeling relieved of emotional burdens for reasons he didn't understand, Adam became exhausted after his conversation with Good and fell asleep in the cave that night. Opening his eyes the next morning was terrifying; it took a few seconds to remember why he still saw blackness no matter how many times he squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. He took a steadying breath and stood hesitantly, his hands touching the walls around him and above him in an effort to keep his head from hitting something. He memorized the section in which he stood, so that he wouldn't go in endless circles. Then he followed the wall, hoping to find an opening or another tunnel somewhere. Hours later, he sighed in frustration. There was nothing.

"Your timing's perfect, huh?" he muttered aloud. "Well I'm starving here, in case you didn't notice." His hand clenched into a fist. "If I only had my sword…"

_Rely not on a hunk of metal. I don't need a sword to rescue you._

Adam frowned, half-embarrassed and half-irritated. The idea that Good could hear his every word was downright disconcerting.

"Well forgive me if I don't sit here," he muttered. He started on his way again, double-checking the walls to make sure he hadn't missed an opening or a passage. Although the tunnel-like cave was narrow, it went fairly deep into the mountain, he was sure. It had taken him a long time to complete the first circuit—he estimated nearly three hours. When he reached the back wall a second time he paused, feeling a slight vibration. Adam frowned as it got stronger and stronger.

"Oh no," he gasped aloud. "It's an earthquake!"

He stepped away from the wall as the shaking grew worse. But then a section of the ceiling came crashing down behind him, herding him towards the back wall again. Adam placed a hand on the jagged rock wall beside him to help maintain his balance. The wall in front of him began to collapse; a ray of sunshine peeked through the dirt at eye-level. Excitement built in Adam as the escape route slowly grew larger. He restrained from scrambling through the opening, knowing the top of the opening could give way in this earthquake. But then stones from the ceiling above began to rain down on his head and back. Another large chunk of rock fell beside him, and Adam realized he didn't have a choice any longer. The cave was collapsing; he had to try to get through the hole.

Adam ran three steps and leaped as high and as fast as he could, going headfirst out of the hole. The storm that had driven him into the cave had passed during the night, and blinded in the bright sunlight, he couldn't quite tell where the ground was. He landed awkwardly, taking the brunt of the fall on his left hand. Pain streaked through his wrist and up his arm as he tumbled down the hill a ways, finally coming to a hard stop against a tree.

* * *

Adora figured they must have been walking and searching for hours by the time Teela called a rest and broke out some food and water for everyone. They had come across chambers that were obviously used as bedrooms and others that were just as clearly empty prison cells, but there was no sign of Adam.

"How are you holding up?" Adora asked Teela softly as they sat down against a wall and began eating some cold sandwiches.

"I'm fine," Teela answered automatically. "I train like this all the time."

"I meant emotionally," Adora said needlessly, knowing Teela was deliberately misunderstanding her.

Teela hugged her knees to her chest, her sandwich all but forgotten. "I think maybe we were wrong Adora. I don't think Adam's here at all. And if he's not, where is he?"

"He's got to be here," Adora disagreed, mentally crossing her fingers. "We've only searched a small section, Teela." They had made faster progress than expected, thanks to Mekaneck's ability to see through some of the thinner walls of rock, but it was still slow going.

"I almost miss Skeletor," Teela confessed with a small, sad laugh. "At least with him, we usually knew where to look. Someone's missing? Check Snake Mountain first. They'd be there four times out of five. And we could almost always count on He-Man showing up." Her voice choked slightly on her final words. Her voice dropped to a near-whisper. "When Skeletor had Adam and his father, I was able to sense Adam in spite of the spell. Why can't I sense him now?"

Adora knew what Teela was really asking. "He's not dead, Teela," she reassured her firmly. "We'd know if he were."

"Are you sure?" Teela asked, meeting Adora's gaze with fearful eyes.

Before Adora could answer, noises reached them—a combination of screeches, chatters, and roars. "What-?" Adora started to ask.

"Shadow beasts," Fisto hissed, appearing next to them. "Be quiet." The noises stopped abruptly, and the group warily watched the three tunnels leading into the cavern. Teela shifted her weight, the gravel under her foot crunching in the silence. All at once, the beasts appeared in each of the tunnel entrances, shrieking and running towards them. Some had apparently climbed the walls without being seen, and one dropped down behind Hawk, wrapping his immense arms around the pirate.

Adora made a break for a hidden crevice she had seen before, intending to transform, but she never made it. One of the shadow beasts grabbed her by the arm and flung her backwards against the wall. Her head slammed into the rock, and blackness overwhelmed her immediately.

"Adora!" Hawk cried out as he spotted her limp body sliding to the ground. He finally gained enough leverage to throw off the shadow beast. Before he could get to his beloved, however, another one had grabbed his arm, its claws digging in as it screeched at him.

Teela flung one of the shadow beasts over her shoulder, then frantically searched the folds of her uniform for her flash beads. Fisto punched one of the gray-furred animals with his mighty fist, sending it backwards into another one. Another came up behind him and locked him into a choke hold.

Beau jumped onto the back of a shadow beast that had Mekaneck enfolded in its arms. He drove his knee into the sensitive area of its back. The creature screamed in pain and outrage as it let go of Mekaneck.

Orko wiggled his fingers frantically. "All that glows and all that's bright, bring to us a great big light!"

A flash as brilliant as lightning itself burst across the room. The humans and Orko instinctively closed their eyes and covered them if they had a free hand. The shadow beasts shrieked a sound that made Teela actually feel sorry for them, it was so full of pain and confusion. They all ran away, their clawed hands over their eyes.

The light glowed for a few seconds, then began to fade slowly.

"I can't see," Hawk complained. "Where's Adora? She's hurt!"

"So, I finally have the Horde princess after all," a strange voice responded. "How nice of you to bring her to me, Beau." He sounded evil somehow, his voice deep and whispery. None of the heroes could see after that flash; they tilted and swiveled their heads as he spoke, trying to get a location on him and figure out if he was friend or foe.

"Specter!" Beau gasped, recognizing the voice, and answering their question.

"Now then, since I can't have any of you causing trouble for me," the Specter continued, his voice hardening as he spoke, "I'm afraid that you are all now my prisoners."

* * *

Duncan and Lana had risen before dawn and traveled through the morning to get to the outer edges of the Banshee Jungle. They planned to stay out overnight in an effort to cover this area, since it was further away from the palace. They had just completed a scan, and were about to head on to the next section when the earthquake hit. Though they were safe in the Attack Track, a small mountain—really more of a large hill that rose only slightly above the trees ahead—slowly seemed to come apart before their eyes. The track's radar beeped unexpectedly, showing a new life form had emerged from the mountain as it sank in on itself.

Duncan and Lana stared at the radar for a moment, then looked at each other. They had had many such false alarms over the last few days, where a radar blip that was the right size for a human turned out to be a shadow beast, a bear, or even a hermit.

"It's probably just an animal scared out of its home by the earthquake or the mountain collapsing," Duncan pointed out.

"The Banshee Jungle is on the other side of that mountain range, so there are plenty of them around," Lana agreed half-heartedly. Hope was rapidly growing in her heart.

"That life form is different from any of the animals living in this area," the Attack Track reported in its mechanical monotone. "It is the approximate mass Prince Adam would be if he had not eaten properly in several days."

"Well," Man-at-Arms said, shifting the Attack Track into gear, "it is in an area we haven't checked yet. We should do so before heading into the jungle." He hated that he was still hoping so hard. After five days, the likelihood of finding Adam alive was minimal. His head knew it. But his heart wouldn't give in.

"We might as well do so, since we are here," Lana said amenably. She said nothing of the hope fluttering wildly in her own chest.

* * *

Black specks danced before him as Adam struggled to take a breath. He blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the midday sun shining down. He was lying on his right side, his back against the tree. He shifted away as he prepared to get up, and pain streaked across his mid back, taking his breath away all over again. He managed to get onto his stomach and elbows only. His head was spinning and the black spheres wouldn't go away. He closed his eyes again, breathing in slowly and deliberately.

"Adam?" a voice said, disbelief plain in the tone. Adam searched his memory for a second, feeling disoriented. The voice sounded familiar, but…. "Adam!" another voice called, this one feminine and full of relief. He forced his eyes open as a hand touched his shoulder. He shifted back onto his side and met the worried and relieved gaze of his mentor.

"Duncan," he said hoarsely, a faint smile on his lips. "Fancy meeting you here."

"What happened?" Duncan demanded, relief and dismay in his voice and written in the crinkles of his eyes. "Are you hurt?" He shook his head. "Stupid question, obviously you are. Where are you hurt?"

Adam answered the first question and ignored the others. "I dove out of the collapsing cave up there and rolled down the hill. Help me sit up," he requested, wincing as Duncan's "assistance" sent pain through his back again. Adam leaned gingerly against the tree, spying Lana as he did so. "Hi, Lana."

"Thank the Ancients. You had us all worried, Adam," she reprimanded him gently. She kneeled down opposite Duncan and gently brushed the hair out of Adam's face, tears of relief rolling slowly down her face.

Duncan felt as if someone had just kicked him in the stomach. He stared in horror at Adam's left cheek, where Teelana had just brushed away the hair that had clung to the sweat and dirt there. There were three diagonal scratch marks, looking exactly like they were made by fingernails.

"Excuse me," Duncan murmured, not meeting Adam's eyes. "I have to go call in to the palace immediately and let them know we found you, Adam."

Adam nodded. "I'll be all right in a minute, Duncan," he assured his mentor, mistaking Duncan's sudden uneasiness for worry. "I just landed pretty hard."

Duncan barely heard the prince as he turned and walked to the Attack Track. The evidence against Adam was overwhelming. The eyewitness, his scent being at Amanda's, the scratches on his face. Man-at-Arms felt nauseous. _My worst fear may have been realized, and it's my fault. If Adam had had his sword, he wouldn't have had these flashbacks, and he wouldn't have…he wouldn't have killed Amanda._ His heart refused to believe it, but his logical mind wouldn't let go of the thought. His step was heavy as he trudged over to the vehicle to radio the palace.

Duncan swallowed hard and cleared his throat as he called in. Marlena was on the other end immediately.

"Man-at-Arms, I'm glad to hear from you," Marlena said, her voice slightly anxious. "Teela's group missed their last check-in. We don't know if the signal won't get through the mountain, or if something's happened."

"Either way, it's a concern," Duncan admitted, worry igniting immediately. He was starting to feel weighed down by his responsibilities and anxieties. "But I do have good news, Your Majesty, we've found Adam."

"Thank God," Marlena's voice returned with heartfelt relief. Duncan smiled slightly at that. She only seemed to use the Earth phrase when she was overwhelmed with fright or gratitude. "Is he all right? Can I speak with him?"

"He's alive and seems to be in pretty good shape considering he's been out in the wilderness for nearly five days with no supplies," Duncan reported carefully. "He's resting right now; there was an earthquake near here and Adam apparently got knocked around a little. I'll have him call you in a little while. I'm not sure when we'll be back, but I thought you'd want to go ahead and call off the search."

"Of course," Marlena instantly agreed. "Thank you, Man-at-Arms. Thank you!"

Duncan signed off, but didn't move right away. Gazing down the gentle slope, he could see Lana hugging Adam. He hadn't told her about the scratches. She would have no idea what they meant. He didn't know if she'd go ahead and tell Adam about Amanda, but he hoped not. He needed time to decide what to do. He had an obligation to the king and to the people of Eternia; if anyone other than Adam had this much evidence piled up against them, Man-at-Arms wouldn't have hesitated to arrest them.

But this was Adam. _He-Man,_ for crying out loud. He couldn't have killed Amanda. The memory of the three scratches on Adam's cheek rose up, and with it bile rose in Duncan's throat. He wished with all his heart that someone else had found Adam, safe and sound. He wished he hadn't taken the blasted sword away from Adam in the first place.

Feeling older than his years, Duncan heaved himself out of the Attack Track and slowly walked back towards Adam and Lana, his mind racing as he desperately tried to get his face under control.

"No offense, Adam, but you reek," Lana commented, wrinkling her nose at him as he stood. The pain in his back had faded, as had the dancing black spots, but his wrist was definitely injured.

"I have to say, though, that you look pretty good other than being filthy," Duncan commented as he approached.

"Well, you know these tropical vacations," Adam quipped with a smile that quickly faded. "How long have I been missing?"

Duncan's heart sank at those words. _Don't ask that, Adam. Anything but that._

"Five days," Lana answered, glancing at Duncan curiously at his lack of response.

Adam's eyes narrowed. "I was only in the Banshee Jungle for four," he said quietly. He looked from one to the other, sensing his mentor's tension. A cold knot of fear formed in his stomach. "Where was I, Duncan?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Duncan admitted, trying to hide his inner turmoil. "Tell me what you do know."

Adam explained how he'd woken up with no idea how he'd gotten in the jungle, and no trail leading in. "It was as if I just appeared in the middle of the blasted place," he concluded, absently rubbing at his left wrist gingerly. "The last four days have just been trying to survive."

Duncan studied him for a minute, thinking his description of waking up sounded as if he'd been drugged. "What about those scratches on your face?" he asked as casually as he could manage. "They look like they're a few days old."

"I woke up with them," Adam affirmed. He glanced down at his clothes, swallowing hard. "And the blood splatter as well." He looked back up, frightened again by the thought of what he might have done during that day. "You have no idea what happened?" he asked past the lump in his throat.

Lana reached out and gently took Adam's right hand. "Let's get you up to the track so we can wrap up that wrist," she said, deliberately changing the subject. She understood now why Duncan was so tense.

"Is your arm injured?" Duncan demanded, thankful for something more concrete to focus on for a moment.

Adam nodded. "I think I sprained it." His blue eyes held Duncan captive, the earlier frightened look replaced by a distinctly He-Man determination. "Man-at-Arms, I want to know what's going on." It was an order, not a request.

Duncan knew that if he told Adam that Amanda had been killed during the time when the prince couldn't account for his whereabouts, Adam would turn himself in, because he would believe that to be the right thing to do. And with the evidence against him right now, Adam would be convicted within a week. He might be acquitted, but only if they revealed he had been suffering from flashbacks…and that could lead to the truth of his identity.

Man-at-Arms found himself torn. Whether it was denial or faith, he didn't know, but he just couldn't accept the idea that Adam had killed Amanda. _You didn't trust me_, Adam's voice rang in his memory. He looked into the familiar blue eyes and saw nothing there to convince him that this man was capable of murder, flashback or not. As the two men stared at each other, Duncan reached a decision…and in doing so, he turned his back on his duty for the first time in his life.

"A group went into the Specter's caves to try to find you," he told Adam. "Teela, Adora, Hawk, Fisto, Mekaneck, Beau, and Orko. They missed their last check-in, about an hour ago."

Adam regarded his mentor for a moment, sensing that the man wasn't being honest with him. Adam couldn't help crossing his arms almost defensively, causing his wrist to throb, but he didn't challenge Duncan further. He knew that Duncan had his best interests at heart, so for now he chose to trust his mentor. "Then what are we waiting for?"

* * *

Blinded as they were, the group had almost no chance against the chains that were suddenly placed around their wrists. Hawk managed to land a punch or two, and Teela took down one man with her staff, but the heroes were all subdued within moments. As their vision began to clear, they could see the men leading them through the rocky narrow passages, but none of their captors spoke.

Hawk stumbled into his cell just behind Beau. He turned and grabbed hold of the bars in time to see Adora being carried back up the steep tunnel.

"Adora!" he shouted after them. "Where are you taking her?" There was no response. "Blast!"

Teela grinned at him from across the hall. "You really need to calm down, Hawk."

"What are you so cheerful about?" he grumbled.

"I'd like to know that as well," Mekaneck agreed from the cell next to Hawk and Beau's.

The Captain of the Guard smirked as she raised her still-chained hands to her hair and pulled out a pin. "It's nice to be locked up someplace I can get out of for a change," she said as she went to work on Orko's handcuffs.

* * *

Adora awoke with a start, her eyes blurry and the pain in her head making her feel as if someone was hitting it with a sword. "Oh," she moaned softly. Instinctively she tried to put her hand to her head to ease the pain, but realized with a sense of panic that her hands seemed to be stuck above her.

"What?" she whispered, looking up at the fuzzy black outline of chains binding her hands together over her head. She tugged, but the chain was imbedded into the rock wall. She wasn't going anywhere for a while. Perhaps she could reach her sword if-

"Ah, the Horde princess awakens," came a strange voice. Adora looked over towards the sound. In the dim, shimmering light, she could make out only the outline of a cloaked figure that seemed to be even larger than He-Man.

"Who are you?" Adora asked, her voice a bit faint.

"Someone you owe a great debt to," said the man, hatred in his voice. "Someone whose family you took away years ago." He pulled back his hood, revealing dark hair, slanted eyes and a pale face with sharp features. Adora couldn't see more than that in the cavern light. "I am the Specter."

* * *

Adam called into his parents as soon as they got to the Attack Track. Duncan mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that the king and queen would say nothing about Amanda over the open airwaves.

"Adam, are you all right?" asked Randor, his voice sounding very rough. "We've been worried sick about you."

"I'm all right, Father," Adam assured him.

Randor closed his eyes briefly as relief flooded him. Adam sounded so perfectly normal. His eyes popped open as he recalled other times when his son had seemed fine, but in looking back, Randor knew he had been hiding things to protect his secret. He shouldn't take things like this at face value with Adam. "Where have you been, son?"

"The Banshee Jungle," Adam replied. He stopped short as Duncan placed a firm hand over the microphone and shook his head.

"Say nothing else," Duncan hissed. Adam nodded, though his eyebrow raised in question.

"How on Eternia did you get there?" Marlena asked, bewilderment in her voice. "And how did you survive?"

"I don't know how I got there, but it was Teela and Duncan's training that helped me survive," Adam chuckled back, with a grateful look towards his mentor. He hesitated for a few seconds, then added, "And the grace of Good."

"What?" Randor asked.

"I'll explain when I get home," Adam replied.

"We'll be several days getting back," Duncan informed the royal couple. "We need to check on our team in the caverns." Adam's eyes narrowed in surprise, and a short silence met Duncan's statement.

"That's fine," Randor finally said. "I think I understand, Duncan. Let me know what happens in Bereathia."

"Yes sir," Duncan responded.

"What's going on, Duncan?" Adam asked his mentor after he had signed off. "There's something you're not telling me."

"There will be time for it later, Adam," Duncan promised his young friend. "We need to get to the Specter's caves."

* * *

Adora studied the man before her as best she could in the shimmering light. "Do I know you?" she asked suspiciously. He looked vaguely familiar…

The Specter glared at her, obviously not pleased that she didn't know who he was. "Seven years ago you ripped my family away from me, Force Captain," he snarled viciously. "You sent my parents to the slave mines."

"No," Adora whispered. The memory of an angry young teen boy, about thirteen or fourteen, burst across her memory.

"_Mother! Father!" The boy struggled against the trooper holding him. His mother screamed something, probably the boy's name. _

"_Go find the rebellion, son!" his father yelled as he struggled against the robots. "You'll be safe there. Don't worry about us!"_

_The boy was oblivious to his father's words. He screamed obscenities at the trooper holding him, then suddenly bit his captor's hand. This trooper happened to be humanoid, and he yelled in pain, involuntarily letting go of the boy. The parents were thrown into a truck, and the doors clanged shut. Desperate and infuriated, the boy grabbed a large stick on the ground and swung hard, taking the head _

_off of one of the robot troopers. Then he turned on the trooper that had held him, hitting him over and over. Adora nodded to Catra to get the boy. But he avoided her nimbly, still heading for the carriage. _

_Adora stepped between the carriage and the young teen. "Just where do you think you're going?" she demanded. _

"_Get out of my way!" the boy screamed, punching wildly at her. She caught one wrist, then the other, with little effort. This seemed to infuriate the boy even more, and he began kicking at her._

"_Your parents are rebels, and they're going to the slave mines," Adora informed him firmly, even as she nodded to Leech. The monster came up behind the boy and placed his suckers on each side of the teen's head. "If you don't calm down and obey us, you'll be going the same place."_

"_Good!" the boy snapped angrily. He wiggled crazily, trying to get away from her and Leech. "I don't want to leave them! Send me with them!" His voice began to lose its ferocity as Leech drained his energy._

"Oh, First Ones, no," Adora whispered again as she stared at the man in front of her. _Please tell me that my actions didn't create this monster. Please don't let it be true._

"Oh yes," the Specter sneered, oblivious to Adora's personal demons. "The people whose lives you ruined have a voice now, Horde Princess. And it is mine."

Adora's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely, her voice nearly breaking. "I'm so sorry."

The Specter did not appear to be moved. "Apologies given out of fear mean little to me," he said with venom in his voice. "Do you know what happened to my parents? They went to the mines where you sent them, Force Captain. Do you know what happened then?"

"You went to the Horde training school," she answered, catching him off-guard. "You rose to the top of the class within six months and used what they taught you to escape."

"But do you know what happened to my parents?" he demanded, stepping closer to her. He had a stench about him that made her throat convulse. Adora swallowed hard.

"They died two months after they were imprisoned," she answered roughly. "They were trying to escape, stole a vehicle, and crashed."

"Wrong!" he yelled at her, causing Adora to wince as his voice nearly blew out her eardrums. Her head started throbbing all over. "That was the official report, and it was all lies, like the rest of the Horde's words. My mother became ill. The Horde refused to give her any medicine. My father managed to get some smuggled in to her, but when it was discovered, he was beaten so severely that he suffered internal injuries." Tears began rolling down Adora's face at the mental images this brought forth. "My parents died within a day of each other because of the Horde's cruelty. Because of _you_."

"I didn't know," Adora said hoarsely. "I swear I didn't. I'm so sorry." She was so focused on the twisted soul in front of her that she missed the activity behind him in the cavern.

A heavy hand came down on the Specter's shoulder. "I suggest you leave my fiancée alone," Hawk said angrily, pulling hard to bring the Specter around to face him.

The man spun around, but there was no alarm in his voice at the sight of the group in front of him. The hatred was gone from his face; he looked and sounded as if he had met perfect strangers at a picnic. "I see I underestimated your ability to escape a normal cell," he commented casually. "Fortunately, I was prepared for such a possibility."

Instinctively, Hawk activated his power ring and swung hard at the Specter, connecting with the villain's jaw. Specter landed on his back uneventfully, and for a few seconds Hawk and Adora thought it was over already. Their eyes met; then Adora's face crumpled in dismay.

"Hawk, the others!" she yelled. The pirate whirled around to see all of their friends encased in a forcefield. At Hawk's feet, the Specter began to laugh humorlessly and rose to his feet without any effort at all.

"So this is the infamous pirate and prince-to-be," the Specter observed calmly. "I suspected as much."

Hawk stared at him. The man was unbalanced. That was the only possible explanation for his complete and utter calm after he had just been yelling in Adora's face and then punched with the gauntlet.

"Let them go," he growled at the villain.

"I don't think so," the Specter said, brushing off his sleeves. "I have planned this day far too long to allow any of you to interfere."

Hawk activated his cutlass and pointed it straight at the Specter's throat. "I said, let them go."

"Hawk!" Adora screamed. Before he could react, sharp claws dug into his back, sending fiery pain scorching through him.

"No!" Adora sobbed as the cave crawler cut through Hawk's clothes and pierced his skin with its claws. Hawk went down to one knee, his face grimacing in pain.

"Perfect," the Specter said in supreme satisfaction. "Even better than I had planned. Now, Horde Princess, you can watch your beloved die right before your eyes."

"You're a monster," Teela spat at him, causing him to turn.

"You can blame your precious princess for that, my dear," he stated matter-of-factly, his thin lips curving into a wry smile. He reached down with one hand and threw Hawk at the forcefield. He passed through it easily, and Fisto automatically put a hand out to touch it. It was solid from the inside.

"A nice little set-up, don't you think?" the Specter asked no one in particular. His dark cloak floated around him as he walked, the color impossible to identify in the shimmering cavern light. He stopped in front of Adora, his face inches from hers and his breath nearly choking her.

"Now where were we, Horde Princess?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Adora asked, looking him in the eye even though her tears continued to flow.

"Isn't that what you are? You may have fooled your family and these idiots here, but I know the truth. I know the evil that lurks in you," the Specter hissed, his eyes glittering with the cavern lights.

Adora's heart seemed to stop for a moment. He was saying exactly what she had thought to herself in her moments of greatest self-doubt, when the guilt and memories threatened to overwhelm her.

Teela started to speak up to defend her friend, but Beau's sharp kick to her shin silenced her. She glared at him and he held up his hand slightly, the vial of amber liquid fairly glowing in the faint light. He motioned to Hawk with his eyes, tilting his head toward the Specter at the same time. Teela nodded and pulled Mekaneck and Fisto to stand alongside her, keeping Beau and Hawk out of the Specter's view as Hawk climbed shakily to his feet.

"It's a shame, really," the Specter continued, stepping away from Adora and raising his voice. Hawk drank the liquid quickly before the villain could see him, but he needn't have worried. The man strolled around the cavern, delighting in his own voice echoing off of the walls. He wasn't paying any attention to the group inside the forcefield. "When I first arrived on Eternia, I only knew that I wanted to get even with you, and the best way to do that, of course, would be to take away your family as you had taken away mine." He whirled in frustration, his cloak spinning out around him. "But I didn't have the contacts here. I needed time and money to build up the perfect trap for you." He paused again, glancing from the group held in the forcefield to Adora and back, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips. "You can see I succeeded. I thought perhaps that day you and that beloved brother of yours were out near Rock Haven that you might be foolish enough to follow me in. I could almost taste the triumph, but the two of you decided not to follow me. I assume that was Adam's choice. I've heard he always did have a cowardly streak."

"What have you done with Adam?" Adora demanded, suddenly reminded that her brother was missing.

"Me?" Surprise colored the Specter's voice for a moment. "Oh, I see. You came here because you thought he was here. No, much to my disappointment, Horde Princess, it appears your precious brother killed Lady Amanda and went into hiding without the woman he supposedly loves." He snorted. "I should have known he would have an evil streak, being your brother."

Adora yanked on the chains that bound her. "Don't you dare speak of Adam like that!" she raged at him. "He did not murder Lady Amanda!"

"Oh?" the Specter challenged her quietly. "Then where is he?" Adora's chest heaved as she stared at the cloaked figure. "That's what I thought." He shook his head. "You'll pay for what you've done," he went on, "and your parents will pay for raising two pitiful creatures like you and your brother."

"But I wasn't raised by my parents!" Adora pointed out desperately. "Don't you see? I was a victim of the Horde too. They brainwashed me, put spells on me and lied to me…"

"SILENCE!" the Specter roared, striding across the room. He slapped Adora across the face, hard, breathing harshly. The sting of the smack didn't hurt as much as his words. "I'll hear no more of your lies and excuses. I cannot kill your brother in front of you as I intended, and I don't have your parents yet." He turned to the group in the cage. "But I think I'll start with this bunch here." Muttering to himself, he strode out of the cavern, Adora's muffled sobs echoing like sweet music in his ears.


	20. Chapter 20: Revelations

_A/N: Thanks to you all for your reviews and patience. I don't own any of the MOTU characters, but I did create Serena, Hutch, Beau, the Specter and maybe a few other incidental ones I can't think of right now. :-)_

* * *

Teela strode around the forcefield-enclosed circle restlessly. "Adam's not here, and now we're prisoners," she muttered under her breath. "How are we going to get out of this? And where's Adam?" She stopped short in front of Mekaneck. "Mek, can you see how this forcefield is being controlled?" Her heart sank as he shook his head.

"It's coming from the rock itself," he explained with a frown. "It's not just one location."

"There's magic in the air here," Orko agreed. He shot a ray of magic, but it was simply absorbed by the forcefield.

"Adora," Hawk called to her. "Adora, are you all right?"

She lifted her head, her haunted eyes an ocean blue even in the dim light. "This is all my fault," she whispered.

"No, it's all Hordak's fault," the pirate retorted angrily. "Hordak is the one who kidnapped you. Hordak is the one who raised you, lied to you, and brainwashed you. I'm glad that piece of filth is dead. I wish I'd killed him myself."

Adora's eyes were huge. "And how does that make you any different than the Specter?"

Hawk clenched his fists angrily. "Maybe it doesn't. But that doesn't change the fact that this is Hordak's fault, not yours."

"No," Adora whispered, shaking her head. "The Specter exists because of what _I _did, not Hordak."

"Did you order the guards to treat the prisoners cruelly?" Teela broke in impatiently. Adora shook her head. "Did you tell them to withhold needed medicine or beat anyone sneaking medicine into the prison?" Again Adora shook her head. "Then stop the pity party, Adora. It's not your fault."

Fisto startled everyone by slamming his huge metal hand down on the ground, causing such vibrations that Teela, Mekaneck, and Beau lost their balance and fell to their knees. Stalactites dropped to the floor, their rumble dangerously loud. Adora barely withheld a screech as one fell directly in front of her, crashing inches away from her feet.

"Fisto! What the Blazes do you think you're doing?" Hawk asked irritably.

"Sorry," the hero replied. "I just wanted to see if I could get through the floor of this thing." He frowned. "But I guess not." His tremendous strength hadn't caused a single crack.

* * *

When Adam hadn't been found within the first day, all of the search parties had begun carrying medical kits, food and water with them in case he needed attention when he was found. Duncan was thankful for the forethought, as Adam downed the water and the food within the first hour of the trip. He even had to remind the prince to slow down several times so he didn't make himself ill. Lana was now asking Adam questions about his time in the jungle, and bit-by-bit the entire story was coming out.

Duncan frowned. "Sounds like you were close to dying of thirst, Adam."

"I was," he agreed, his voice holding an awed note. "Then it started raining like crazy."

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "When?"

"Yesterday."

Duncan's eyebrows raised even higher. "There was a storm that sat over the jungle yesterday, covering about a ten-mile radius. It didn't move. It was one of the reasons Lana and I came out this way today. We thought someone was messing with Mother Eternia."

Adam throat constricted. "So I have more than water to thank Goodness for."

Man-at-Arms merely grunted his agreement, but there was something in Adam's tone and wording that caught Lana's attention. "To thank Goodness for?" she repeated curiously. There was a short silence, the hum of the attack track's motors the only noise.

"I was trapped in that mountain overnight," Adam answered abruptly, suddenly seeming very interested in studying his fingernails.

"That must have been terrible," Lana said sympathetically.

"I had a flashback," Adam admitted slowly, drawing out his words. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell this story, but something seemed to be pushing at him to do so. "In the middle of it, I sort of got interrupted."

"Interrupted?" Duncan repeated, glancing at his protégé briefly.

"You know how I said I met goodness itself when Skeletor and I were blown up by the Obsidian Sphere?" Adam asked, shifting his weight in the seat.

"Yes," Lana said with a small smile. Duncan nodded.

"It-He spoke to me in the cave," Adam said simply. Duncan peeked over to see if the prince was joking, but Adam's face was perfectly serious…and a little apprehensive.

"What did He say?" Lana asked, unsurprised.

"He created us, He loves us, He wants me to have faith in him and tell others about Him," Adam said tentatively. The idea hadn't seemed so intimidating in the cave with Good's presence surrounding him. Looking at Duncan now, however…

"Adam, you were isolated in a dangerous jungle for several days," Duncan pointed out, his tone reasonable though his heart seemed to have stopped. "You hadn't had much food or water. You were probably hallucinating."

"I wasn't hallucinating," Adam insisted. "You said yourself that I looked pretty good, considering things, Duncan. The fact that I had enough food and water to survive is a miracle. Then that storm came and forced me into the cave. The entrance collapsed, and the earthquake this morning opened a hole on this side, and you and Lana just happened to be there. If it weren't for that storm, I'd still be in the jungle." He stopped short, taking note of the disbelief on Duncan's face. "I know the voice, Duncan. I've heard it before."

"When?" the old warrior asked sharply.

"When I thought Teela was dead," Adam replied quietly. "He tried to comfort me and told me to forgive myself. When Shadow Weaver and Evil-Lyn were using the spell of fear on everyone, He told me not to be afraid." There had been a few other times, but these were the ones burned into his memory.

"So every time you've heard this voice it's been at a time when you've been under tremendous stress," Man-at-Arms reasoned. "It's just a reaction, Adam."

"No it's not," Adam countered softly but stubbornly, crossing his arms. A gentle touch on his shoulder turned him to face Lana.

"I believe you, Adam," she assured him, her eyes sincere. He smiled at her.

"Thanks."

Duncan said nothing more, but his doubts about the prince's mental stability grew. _Did I make the right choice? What if I'm wrong and he hurts someone else? _He glanced again at Adam's blood-stained clothing and frowned, his stomach churning with anxiety.

* * *

The Specter returned two hours later. "I trust we're all uncomfortable and mourning," he said pleasantly, putting his fingers together one at a time as he looked around. He froze when he spotted Hawk. "You. How are you still alive?" Hawk didn't answer. He simply stood there, motionless, his arms folded and his legs spread apart.

The Specter grinned unexpectedly. "Beau, you sneak. You had some anti-venom, did you? No matter. I want Adora to suffer, and now I can prolong your death even more, Sea Hawk. She will suffer as you suffer."

"Please let them go," Adora requested, not daring to hope he would grant her wish. "You have me."

"Yes, I do," the Specter agreed, turning to her. "And I intend to keep it that way." He had turned back towards the others. "Let's see, which one to play with first…" He stiffened as Adora's voice reached him.

"Reuben, please."

The Specter turned around very slowly, his face an icy mask of disbelief. "What did you call me?"

"Reuben," Adora repeated softly. "Did you think I would know about you but not know your name?" Tears welled in her eyes. "Even Shadow Weaver's spells couldn't keep me from caring, Reuben. I kept track of every child I sent to the Horde schools and training camps."

For the first time, the Specter's veneer cracked. "But there must have been hundreds of us," he said, disbelief coloring his voice.

"No," Adora contradicted him. "One thousand, two hundred, seventy-three." She raised her chin slightly. "And you were the only one to escape without outside help. What happened, Reuben? With your talent and desire to help your parents, why didn't you join the rebels?"

"I did join the rebels," he snarled, closing the space between them with three steps. He grabbed her face with one hand and squeezed painfully. His voice grew louder and louder as he spoke. "I fought alongside them for a while, then **you** joined them, and the Whispering Woods would no longer allow me to enter!"

"And what does that tell you?" Hawk challenged him, clenching his hands in frustration because he couldn't physically defend Adora. "You became so consumed with hatred that it made you evil!"

"She made me that way," the Specter roared, letting go of Adora and swinging around. He plunged his hand through the forcefield and grabbed Hawk by the throat, yanking him out before anyone could react. He had almost six inches on Hawk, and he held the pirate off of the ground easily. Hawk pried at the Specter's hands and kicked at the man ferociously, but it was futile. The Specter simply blocked the kicks with his other arm as he talked.

"I was respected and liked until you came along," he said, his words meant for Adora even though he was still staring at Hawk. "First you took my parents, then you took my second family from me. You had everyone fooled that you had changed. Somehow you even fooled the Whispering Woods. But I knew better. People like you don't change, Horde Princess. And soon, you and your whole tyrannical family will be history."

"I've met blind people who can see better than you!" Beau charged.

"What?" the Specter didn't take his eyes from Hawk. The pirate couldn't breathe at all. He barely had enough energy to keep prying at the fingers around his throat, and black spots were starting to perform interesting maneuvers in front of his eyes. With a supreme effort, Adora stayed silent, knowing that the more she cried aloud, the more abusive the Specter was likely to get. But she couldn't keep the tears from falling like raindrops.

"You heard me," Beau said, deliberately standing close to the wall of the forcefield. "Adora was forced to do evil because of spells placed on her. What's your excuse? 'She took my family,'" he said in a whiny tone. "That didn't _make _you evil. You _chose_ evil."

The Specter whirled around, still holding Hawk, whose struggles were rapidly becoming weaker. The villain's eyes fairly glowed with fury for a few seconds, then he abruptly stepped back and laughed.

"Very good, Beau," he congratulated the man. "Trying to anger me enough to put my hand in there again, eh?" He chuckled as he circled around the cavern, finally coming to a stop directly across from Adora. "Here will be good, I think." Almost casually, he slammed Hawk against the wall, knocking him unconscious. "Oops. I guess he'll have a headache now." He hummed to himself as he chained up the pirate. "Well, I have business to attend to. See you in a bit."

* * *

Miro caught Randor in the hallway, his eyes hopeful. "Is it true? Did they find Adam? Is he all right?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," Randor assured his father with a small, tight smile. "He's a bit starved from being out in the Banshee Jungle for days without food or water, but he's recovering quickly."

"Well where is he?" Miro demanded.

Randor sighed. "Teela's search party missed their last check-in. Duncan, Lana, and Adam went up there to see if they're all right.

Miro frowned. "Surely Adam's in no shape for that."

Randor averted his eyes for a moment. "Let's talk in my study," he suggested quietly.

The tension in his son's voice caught Miro off-guard. "Of course," he said, following Randor. The younger man motioned to the high-backed dark wooden chair with red cushions. Miro took a seat, lovingly rubbing the wood as Randor sat down behind the desk. The rounded arms of the chair had been expertly crafted and then worn smooth from use over the years. He glanced around. Everything was well-cared for, including the people of Eternia. Randor had been a good king.

"I'm proud of you, you know," Miro said abruptly, causing Randor to pause in his hunt. "I've been around much of Eternia the past several years, and you've done a good job, Randor. It's not easy to be a good man and a good king, but you have managed it."

"Well, I-," Randor fumbled a bit. "Thank you, Father."

Miro smiled, his brown eyes warm with love. "You're welcome. Now what's going on with Adam?"

Randor suddenly looked older than his years. He shoved a piece of paper across the desk to Miro. The former king picked it up and read, his eyes growing wide.

"This is a warrant for Adam's arrest," he said needlessly.

Randor nodded miserably. "The nobility are insisting there's enough evidence for a trial, and I can't argue with that. I have to sign it."

"It feels like you're giving up on him, doesn't it?" Miro asked, his eyes dark with memories. Randor started at that, surprised at how accurate the comment was, and at the underlying emotion in Miro's voice.

"This isn't the first time you've made an odd comment, Father," Randor said, his brow furrowed as he studied his father. "What is it you haven't told me?" When Miro didn't answer immediately, Randor shoved aside the warrant with distaste, and glanced back down at his desk, which was normally quite neat. The last few days had distracted him, and there were unfamiliar piles of paper all over. He had quite a bit to catch up on. But he knew exactly where he had put the photo. He said, opened his drawer and found it immediately. He gazed at it for a few seconds, sensing his life was about to change again, perhaps even more so than when he had figured out Adam was He-Man. Then he handed it to his father. "It's about this, isn't it?"

Miro took the picture with trembling hands, already knowing what it was. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of his laughing, bright-eyed wife and his son teeming with life. "Where did you find this?" he asked hoarsely.

"One of the maids found it behind another photo when she broke the frame," Randor said, his heart pounding. "Who are they, Father?"

Miro swallowed hard. "Keely and Keldor," he whispered, his finger tracing their faces lovingly. "My first wife and my firstborn son."

Randor leaned back in his chair. He had suspected it because of the royal crest the boy wore, but he still felt stunned. Another family? Another son who had a rightful claim to the throne, and they had never known? The pain on his father's face pulled him out of his shock, however. "What happened?"

Miro looked towards Randor, but his eyes were seeing another place and time. "I fell in love with her. An elf," he explained needlessly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Your grandfather would never have approved, so we married in secret. Not long after that, Keldor was born. They stayed in a hidden cabin, and I would visit them as often as I could get away, while trying to push off the women my father tried to force on me. One day-" His voice broke, and he stopped, blinking hard. "One day I arrived to find Keely murdered and Keldor gone."

Miro took a shuddering breath. "I was distraught. At first I couldn't even move. I just kneeled by her side and begged her to wake up, then screamed at the Ancients for help." His eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he sniffed and tilted his head back slightly, his eyes casting about the room aimlessly. Randor's own throat tightened up as his father spoke.

"Then I held her, blood and all, for hours. Her throat had been cut," Miro continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Her blood was covering both of us the last time I held my Keely. She must have been dead a full day by then. She was so cold and stiff." Tears streamed down Miro's face. "I tried to look for Keldor, but if there was a trail, it had been washed away in the heavy rains that day. I never found him. And I never told anyone about him or Keely."

"I have another half-brother out there somewhere?" Randor asked, dazed by the thought as well as the story. His heart felt sick at the scene his father had described.

"I believe so. I went to visit the oracle at the Sea of Rakash, and it said I would hold my firstborn again," Miro confirmed. "Keldor's alive, Randor, but I haven't been able to find him. I found notes he left as he traveled the countryside. He had to steal to eat, and he left notes promising to pay when he found me. But he never made it here." Miro's eyes filled with tears.

"Why didn't you have the royal guard searching for him?" Randor demanded. "Why didn't you tell anyone he existed?"

"I was a fool," Miro said, his face lined with distress. "I made a mistake because I was afraid. Your grandfather was a hard man, Randor. He never would have understood."

"That's terrible," Randor said softly, his heart pierced, "to feel that you couldn't go to your own father." And how many times, he wondered, had Adam felt that his own father was hard and unforgiving? The king swallowed hard, then looked Miro in the eye. "I would like to hear more about this, Father."

"You will," Miro promised, feeling almost giddy at finally having told someone the truth. Randor was handling it much better than he had ever hoped. "But for now, we have to worry about Adam. I don't know the boy all that well, but if you believe he was framed, Randor, that's enough for me. How can I help?"

Randor picked up the warrant again, his mind spinning and his stomach churning. "You can make this go away," he said brokenly, his hand shaking as he reached for the pen. His hand hovered over the paper for an eternity before his eyes met Miro's. The former king stood and walked around the desk to place a hand on his son's shoulder. There was nothing either of them could say.

* * *

The hum of the attack track had lulled Adam into a doze that lasted through a stop for supplies. He didn't wake until they got to the mountain caverns. Duncan shook his head, thinking that Adam's ability to catch sleep just about anywhere was certainly beneficial to the prince. Out of the three of them, he would be in the best shape going into the caves, even after five days without a square meal. Speaking of which…

"You'd better eat, Adam," Duncan urged, handing him a thick sandwich. "There's no telling how much of a chance we'll have to eat or rest once we're inside." They all ate quickly, their tension high.

"So Duncan, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Adam asked casually as they grabbed their knapsacks. His eyes scanned the mountainside. Knowing he wasn't going to get a response to his first question anyway, he went on. "Are you sure there's an entrance here?"

"Yes," Duncan answered grimly. "An unguarded one, from the information Beau sent to us before they went in. But not unprotected. There are cave crawlers. But they don't like fire, so…" He lit an old-fashioned torch and handed it to Adam, then lit another for Lana. After securing one for himself, he led the way towards a shallow indentation. Hidden under a small overhang was an even smaller cave, barely large enough for the men to squeeze through.

"Glad I already had my cave flashback," Adam muttered as he ducked to enter, his shoulders brushing the rocks on both sides. Ahead of him, Lana giggled, a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.

"That's not funny," Duncan growled from up front.

"Who rusted his uniform?" Adam whispered to Lana, who bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"He's worried about his children," she whispered back.

"Children?" Adam asked, then flushed as he understood her meaning. "Oh."

"Sh!" Duncan hissed, listening hard. He could hear the murmur of voices ahead…voices that weren't supposed to be here. He motioned the others to hold, handed Lana his torch, and crept forward as quietly as his armor would allow.

"…gives me the creeps," echoed a familiar voice. Duncan's eyes narrowed. _Trap Jaw!_ "I'll be glad to have an excuse to get out of here."

"Good," returned a hard, unfamiliar voice. "Remember, you're not to harm the king and queen. Just bring them to me."

Duncan's jaw clenched and he backtracked quickly to where Lana and Adam waited. He motioned them out of the cave frantically.

"What's up?" Adam whispered.

"They're plotting to kidnap your parents," Man-at-Arms replied grimly. "We've got to get back to the palace."

Turning with difficulty in the small enclosure, Adam led the way out. As soon as he hit the opening, however, he felt an almost physical pull back towards the cave. He glanced over his shoulder as he jogged to the attack track with Lana and Duncan. The feeling that he should stay only grew stronger. Adam hesitated as Duncan jumped into the track.

"Come on Adam," he urged impatiently as Lana climbed in.

Adam shook his head. "No, I'm staying here and looking for the others," he said, taking a step back.

"Absolutely not," Man-at-Arms said sharply, rising from his seat. "It's too dangerous."

"Duncan, I need to stay here and look for my sister and Teela," Adam said resolutely, his left hand hooked through his belt, feigning a casualness he didn't feel.

"Adam, we just found you. I'm not going back to the palace without you," his mentor barked, a suspicion entering his mind.

"I have to stay here," Adam repeated, determination clear in his locked jaw.

"Why? Because 'Good' told you to?" Duncan challenged harshly.

Adam's patience with his friend snapped. "If you're asking if I'm hearing voices in my head, the answer is no. But I do have a strong feeling that I'm supposed to stay here," he retorted. "I've had feelings like this before and you trusted me, Duncan. Don't act like I'm crazy now just because I understand where they come from. I'm not going back right now, and that's final. You and Lana go back and protect my parents. Your daughter and our other friends need me."

Duncan stared at the iron determination mixed with anger in the prince's face. _He's got a point. He was almost always right about whether Skeletor was involved in things or not. His plans worked almost all of the time, even when they didn't seem to make sense. Maybe he needs to know what's going on. But if I tell him, he'll turn himself in. What if he's right? What if the others need him? That's my daughter in there. _Adam watched the play of emotions in Duncan's face.

"What is it, Duncan?" he demanded, frustration lacing his words and tightening his jaw. "What is it you're not telling me?"

Lana placed a gentle hand on Duncan's forearm. His black eyes looked suspiciously wet as his shoulders slumped slightly. "Nothing, Your Highness," he said quietly. "We'll go back to protect your parents as you ordered." He tossed Adam a communicator. "In case you need it. I assume yours is broken."

Baffled, Adam looked down at the wristband and back up as Duncan sat down and drove the track away. He couldn't remember the last time Duncan had addressed him so formally, even in public. He stood there for a moment, but the feeling that he needed to go into the cave grew stronger. Adam glanced upwards as he made his way towards it. _I sure hope You're the one telling me to go back in there._

* * *

The Specter came back in and was simply staring at Adora.

"I was like you once," Fisto said, capturing the villain's attention. "I was evil. I thought that power and having people fear me was what I needed, what would make me happy." The Specter said nothing, but only raised a dark eyebrow. "This quest for revenge will not end well, Specter. Even if you break Adora, you'll lose yourself."

"What beautiful nonsense you speak," the Specter said with a mirthless smile. "I will feel better once I've killed her family and have her in prison forever, you see. I will establish a democracy on Eternia, and do away with the so-called nobility."

"Liar!" Beau exclaimed, his gray eyes flashing even in the low light. "You're only fooling yourself, Specter. And you'll never get away with it. She-Ra and He-Man aren't going to join you like you told us. They'll stop you!"

Specter laughed. "He-Man hasn't been seen in three months, Beau. I doubt he's going to show up in the next two days, and by then, everything will be over. As for She-Ra…" he paused heavily. "I've noticed she doesn't really come around to rescue the Horde Princess. I'm not entirely sure she likes your friend."

The Specter placed a hand on his chin and tapped his fingers against his face. "I tire of this conversation and this game. I will release you all now…and watch your deaths. My pets are hungry." With that, the forcefield was gone, and the group found themselves surrounded by cave crawlers, their mottled gray-and-black scales barely visible in the shimmering light. Only their glowing yellow eyes and hisses gave them away.

"No!" Adora cried out, pulling futilely at her chains again. "You can't! Stop!"

"Oh, but I can," the Specter whispered, watching her struggle. "I can."

* * *

_Well, this passage hasn't gotten any wider in the last ten minutes,_ Adam thought wryly as he squeezed through. Every so often he would stop and listen hard, but there were no voices. He took one turn and then another, paying attention to where he "felt" he should go, because he had no other way of guiding himself in these caves. Gradually the tunnel grew larger. Adam abruptly found himself at the entrance to a large grotto with a deep-looking hole in the center, though the shimmering light made it hard to tell for sure how deep it was. The room seemed unused. There were two other tunnels leading out, one to his left and one straight ahead. Adam walked carefully to his left, his shoulder brushing the wall.

Something tickled the side of his neck, and Adam instinctively brushed at it without looking first. The size and weight took him by surprise, and he quickly glanced over in time to see a mob of night spiders surging at him from the wall, their black legs working rapidly as they tried to encase him in webbing. Adam didn't have time to fight them; their numbers overwhelmed him too rapidly. He barely had time to move his feet, but he did manage to jump backwards, down into the hole, his arms already bound to his sides. The spiders abandoned him as he fell, chattering angrily that they had lost their victim.

There wasn't even time to think or pray as he fell. Adam twisted his body as best he could in the few seconds it took to hit bottom. He landed poorly, wrenching his right knee. Pain exploded in it, and his leg crumpled under him. He landed on his side so hard that it pushed the air out of his lungs, and his temple banged on a rock.

"Ah," he gasped in pain. Yellow dots appeared in front of him. He blinked his eyes rapidly, but they didn't go away. With a sickening heaviness in his throat, Adam recalled the descriptions of the cave crawlers. He squirmed wildly, trying but failing to get up so he could defend himself in some way. He strained at the webbing around his upper body; he couldn't break the bonds.

"This would be a really good time for some of that help you mentioned," he muttered to Good. The yellow eyes floated closer and closer to the helpless prince.

* * *

"Round up!" Teela shouted. Everyone got into a tight circle facing out, the limited weapons they had on hand held at the ready. The six snarling cave crawlers circled them, nearly impossible to see.

Without any warning, one of the crawlers leaped at Fisto. The warrior threw a punch that caught the crawler in mid-air, audibly cracking its jaw. It flew back across the room with an eerie howl, while the other crawlers attacked. One came in low, slashing at Fisto's unprotected leg. Beau kicked it in the stomach and deliberately fell sideways as another reared up on its hind legs to swipe at his chest; it too met with Fisto's clenched metal hand.

Teela had switched on her freeze ray and easily took care of the giant lizard-like creature in front of her. Mekaneck wound his head around dizzily, succeeding in getting two of the crawlers to jump at him. He pulled his head back just in time to let them crash together. Orko thought for a second, wiggled his fingers and suspended one of the crawlers in mid-air. It squealed and frantically clawed the air. Orko pointed up, and the crawler flew towards the ceiling. It managed to turn around and grasp the stone with its clawed toes.

"Oops," Orko muttered.

When the attack had settled, two of the crawlers were completely out of commission. The other four circled more warily. Suddenly they disappeared.

"Are they gone?" Fisto shouted.

"No, they're still here!" Mekaneck yelled back, his infrared allowing him to see them. He called out directions to Teela, who fired and managed to freeze another crawler.

"You're not playing fair," Specter growled, appearing suddenly in front of Mekaneck. He punched the hero straight in the face, knocking him out cold.

"Mek!" Adora cried out, yanking on the chains again. She watched as her friends, who had seemed to have a chance at the start, began falling one by one.

Teela cried out in pain as invisible claws tore into her thigh muscle. The cave crawlers seemed to know that their poison would do its work, and turned their attention to Fisto and Beau. Without Mekaneck's infrared to guide them, they couldn't fight the invisible cave crawlers. Within moments both of them, along with Mekaneck, had scratches full of poison.

"Orko!" Teela called desperately. "Get help!"

The little magician closed his eyes and disappeared from sight.

* * *

_A/N: For those of you who have been reading LittleLlamaGirl's story "Stumbling into the Light," yes, we have been working closely together on our two stories, as you can probably tell from Miro's confession to Randor. If you haven't read hers yet...well, you might want to. The next major one I write will actually be co-authored with her...and I'm not telling any more than that yet!_


	21. Chapter 21: The Return

Still on his side, his heart pounding wildly, Adam watched the glowing eyes creep forward. "Don't you have some other helpless victim to harass?" he asked frantically, still wiggling in an attempt to free himself from the wrappings. Every movement made his wrist throb, but he had far more important matters on his mind now—like not getting eaten.

"A-Adam?" a familiar trembling voice asked.

"Cringer?" Adam asked in disbelief, growing still. Within seconds, his feline partner was beside him, licking his face enthusiastically. He must have found something to eat recently; his breath almost choked Adam.

"I thought I'd never find you!" Cringer said in between slurps. Adam laughed in spite of the foul-smelling slobber that quickly covered him.

"Am I ever glad to see you! Help me out of this webbing, would you?"

Cringer finally backed off and unsheathed his claws on one paw. Hesitantly, he pressed them into Adam's bonds and tugged.

"That's it, Cringer," Adam encouraged him. "Almost there. Got it!" With a burst of strength, Adam broke through the remaining strands and hugged Cringer, pressing his face against the soft fur. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"I've been lo-looking for you forever," the cat complained. "M-My paws hurt from walking. My nose hurts from sniffing for your scent. And my m-mouth hurts more than anything."

"Your mouth?" Adam asked, perplexed. "Did you have a hard time eating something? And you still didn't tell me how you found me."

"With this," Cringer replied, walking smoothly a few steps away into a shadowed tunnel. Adam heard the scrape of metal on rock, but still couldn't believe his eyes when Cringer came back towards him, the slight shimmering light reflecting off of the Power Sword in his mouth.

"My sword!" exclaimed Adam, reaching out and taking it gently from Cringer's mouth. Cringer opened his mouth wide, moved it from side to side, and closed it with a sigh of relief. "How-?"

"The Sorceress said I was the only one who could get it to you," the tiger whimpered. "It pulled me here. B-but I had to do it all by myself. I didn't even have Orko with me."

Adam grinned foolishly as he balanced the sword in his hand, reveling in the familiar weight and the feel of Grayskull's power once more. He reached for his partner again, giving him another hug. "Thanks, Cringe."

"N-no problem, Adam," the cat said, flattening his ears against his head. "C-can we go home now? It's awfully dark and scary in here."

"Sorry, pal, but our friends need us," Adam said, standing as best he could on one leg and raising his sword. "By the power of Grayskull!"

"I was afraid he was going to do that," Cringer grumbled to himself.

Grayskull's power rushed through Adam even more strongly than he remembered. His knee and wrist were healed immediately, the feeling of the bones and cartilage mending creating a tingling, fiery sensation. The transformation to He-Man was completed within seconds, and as the sword transferred the power to him, Adam completed the incantation like a favorite old song.

"I have the power!"

Cringer ducked, but as usual, Grayskull's power was not to be denied. The flash hit him, and he could feel his courage growing with his size, until he couldn't contain it any longer. He let out a triumphant roar.

"What's going on, He-Man?" he asked his friend when the transformation was complete. He flexed his paws, enjoying the feeling of power and confidence surging through him.

"I don't know exactly," the hero replied as he swung into the saddle. "But something tells me that Teela, Adora, and the others need our help. Let's go, Cat!"

Battle Cat hadn't gotten more than a few leaps down the tunnel before a flash of light appeared, and with it, Orko. His little yellow eyes grew large as he spotted them.

"He-Man! You're back!" he cheered as he flew over and gave the hero a hug. He-Man's heart lifted; there was something about Orko that always made him a bit more joyful. But the little Trollan's next words wiped the smile from the hero's face. "We need you. The Specter has everyone trapped, and some of them have been scratched by the cave crawlers. Beau said they've only got an hour to live!"

"Can you get us to where they are, Orko?" He-Man asked urgently.

Orko thought for a few seconds, then closed his eyes. The trail of magic back was faint, and he didn't have enough power to transport all three of them directly there, but he could follow it. "Sure thing, He-Man, I can lead you there."

"Then let's move it," He-Man commanded. Orko sped off, Battle Cat running after him. He-Man cast a glance upwards. _Thank you,_ he thought, a sense of amazement filling him. _Now if we can just get there in time._ He nearly laughed aloud at that. _After all that's happened today, how can I even doubt it? _

* * *

Teela dove at the Specter, determined to take him down before she was paralyzed. He stepped to the side with a snicker, easily avoiding her.

"Go ahead, dear captain, exert yourself," he taunted her. "You'll simply spread the poison that much faster."

Teela turned on her freeze ray and fired, but the Specter leapt out of the way, his cloak billowing around him as he somersaulted through the air. He landed near Fisto, who took a swipe at the villain. The Specter ducked, then buried his own balled hand into Fisto's stomach.

"Enough!" he shouted, and forcefields surrounded all of them. "Now you can all die quietly, like good little warriors." He turned to Adora, whose red lips were trembling. "And you get to watch."

"How can you do this?" she asked. "Don't you see that you've become as evil as the Horde?"

"I will restore justice to this land!" the Specter snapped at her. "But not until I've repaid you for all the evil you have done!"

"You don't understand," Adora whispered, her face a mask of despair. "You can never repay me for that. I hurt too many people." Hawk's eyes narrowed at her words.

"That's right," the Spectar said in a smooth voice, moving closer to her. "You don't deserve to be a princess."

"I don't deserve to be a princess," Adora agreed, tears beginning to fall down her face again. "No princess should have blood on her hands."

The Specter smiled in satisfaction. "Very good," he said, taking a step back. "Soon all of your friends will be dead, and you will suffer in misery for the rest of your life, feeling as unloved and unworthy as you really are." He reached up and tapped a finger to his chin. "But I'm afraid I need to speed things up a bit since that meddlesome little magician got away."

He strode across the cavern to Hawk. The Specter raised a hand, and the shimmering light in the cavern grew a little brighter and steadier. "I wouldn't want her to miss this," he said to Hawk as he drew out a sharp, narrow saber.

"What have you done to her?" Hawk demanded, his chest heaving with frustration.

The Specter grinned. "I can influence minds within these caverns. The Horde Princess is simply succumbing to that influence, albeit much more slowly than I had anticipated."

"You mean you use mind control on your gang members?"

"I don't see what it is to you," the Specter said, his teeth flashing in a brief toothy smile, "but yes, I do. That way I can guarantee their loyalty. My only failure was Beau over there. I have to admit, though, that the Horde Princess is providing quite the challenge. For someone who was supposedly under a mind spell for so long, she is amazingly resistant. It just proves she's lying."

"Her name is Adora," Hawk spat at him, pulling at his chains. "Why don't you try using it, Reuben? Or would that make her too real to you?"

"Adora, then," the Specter replied coolly, fingering his blade. "Now as I was saying, once all those she loves are dead, her depression will make her easy to manipulate. _Adora_ will remain in that state for the rest of her life."

"Adora and Teela were right," Hawk said, his voice and eyes hard. "You are a monster, just like Hordak."

"I think," the Specter said casually, his eyes glittering in anger, "that it's time you died." He drew back his blade and plunged it towards Hawk's chest. Adora screamed, covering the sound of a sword soaring through the air. It clanged against the Specter's sabre, sending it flying out of his hand.

"I suggest you leave my friends alone," said a deep, almost-forgotten voice.

"He-Man!" his friends cried in astonished unison. He stood in a tunnel entrance, Battle Cat and Orko flanking him on each side. Teela clapped a hand over her mouth in relief. _Adam, you're alive! _She felt a surge of renewed energy at the sight of He-Man, even as she noted that her face was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. The poison was doing its job.

"Hi everyone," he said casually, not taking his eyes off of the Specter. "Sorry I'm late."

"So, the legendary He-Man returns," the villain said calmly, making Adora nervous. He brushed his hands together lazily. "Where has Eternia's hero been all this time?"

"Oh, I haven't been as far away as everyone thought," He-Man assured him with cocky grin.

"I have been hoping to meet you He-Man. You see, the royal family and their followers are an evil influence on Eternia," the Specter said serenely. "They take overtax the poor. People are starving. And the masters force everyone into submission. Surely you have seen that the royal family is evil."

He-Man snorted. "Nice try, blanket-face. I don't know a group of people more dedicated to good than the royal family and the masters. The only evil one I see here is you." Battle Cat roared loudly in agreement.

"Interesting," the Specter murmured. He looked at He-Man more intently. "Adora is responsible for the imprisonment of thousands, and the deaths of hundreds of them. She does not deserve to be the Eternian princess."

He-Man could feel the negative energy directed at his mental defenses; for probably the hundredth time he was thankful for the Sorceress' instruction in that area. "Your little mind tricks aren't going to work on me, Specter. Let my friends go and we'll leave in peace."

The Specter scowled at the hero. "I don't think so, He-Man!" Without warning, He-Man was encased in one of the forcefields.

"No!" Adora cried out. Unfortunately, Orko had been on his way over to free her. Her cry caught the Specter's attention, who turned to look at her and spotted Orko wiggling his fingers at Adora.

"Oh no you don't," he growled, and in a second, Orko was also encased in a forcefield. Battle Cat crept quietly towards the Power Sword.

The Specter turned back to Grayskulls' champion, laughing. "Now I have even the mighty He-Man."

"We'll see about that," He-Man said determinedly. He reached out and pressed his hands on opposite sides against the forcefield somewhat tentatively. When the expected jolt of electricity didn't come forth, he strained against them.

The Specter watched in amusement. "No one can break my forcefields."

"You don't know He-Man," Orko told him smugly.

He-Man pushed with all he had. His muscles bulged and burned with the strain. He wasn't actually trying to break through the forcefield by brute strength; he was just trying to keep the Specter's attention so Battle Cat could get the Power Sword and maybe free someone. Through squinted eyes, he could see the tiger touch it to a forcefield, but it didn't shatter it. Instead, the blade passed through to Teela, who took it a bit shakily. He-Man closed his eyes and with a grunt, he heaved one last time against the sides of the trap just as Teela used the Power Sword to strike her at her forcefield from the inside.

Both gave way with a sudden, sharp crack that resounded throughout the cave. There were echoing cracks, and small flashes of light as the shimmering rocks that had lit the darkness burst into a fine white powder, and the remaining forcefields disintegrated. Only a few torches lent any sort of light to the cave now.

"What?" the Specter gasped in surprise. Then anger lit his face. "I'll take care of you yet, He-Man."

"You're welcome to try," He-Man said cheerily as Orko freed Adora.

"He-Man!" Teela cried, throwing his sword to him. He tossed it from hand to hand in eager anticipation.

"It's been a really long vacation, Specter. I'm ready to play anytime you are."

"He-Man, look out!" Mekaneck called out. Instinctively, He-Man ducked and whirled, but saw nothing. "It's a cave crawler!" Mekaneck told him. "Thirty degrees to your right, about to leap, **now**!"

He-Man swung his sword as Mekaneck directed and felt it unexpectedly crash into something. Orko muttered beneath his breath, and produced a brilliant white globe that lit the entire cave, revealing moving shadows as several more cave crawlers came in, their nails clicking on the rock. Then the Specter's men ran in as well, surrounding the group.

"Fools," the Specter hissed, brushing at his sleeves. "You'll all die here anyway. But I suppose it will make you feel better to go down fighting."

"You have no idea," He-Man agreed, his foot shooting out to catch a cave crawler, immediately followed by his arm, which swung out to clothesline one of the men. The hero was exuberant. There was no other word for it. In spite of the fact that he normally disliked fighting, it felt as if it had been forever since he felt this well. Even before the last few months without his sword, he had been through Blazes and back, courtesy of the Horde. It had probably been four or five months since he had last felt Grayskull's full strength coursing through his veins; it was almost intoxicating.

Adora had managed to duck out and become She-Ra. She hurried back in to where her friends were fighting for their lives. The four who had been scratched by the cave crawlers were sweating profusely, and their movements were slow and clumsy. She realized with a frightened start that their hour was almost up.

"He-Man!" she yelled. "The poison! I've got to heal them!"

Her brother nodded his understanding as he threw two men off of him. She-Ra laid her hands on Mekaneck, who was closest to her. He-Man somersaulted through the air to stand defensively in front of them. Orko, who had been flying around wildly since he had freed Adora, freed Hawk just in time for the pirate to punch out a man sneaking up behind the little Trollan.

"Orko, can you make these cave crawlers stand out a little more?" He-Man called. The large lizard-like creatures were nearly impossible to see against the dark-colored rocks.

"Sure thing, He-Man!" Orko agreed, excitement bubbling in his voice at the chance to help out. "Red, yellow, green, and blue, crawlers show yourselves, I command you!" She-Ra went to Teela and healed her as quickly as she could.

The cave was suddenly a rainbow of colors as not just the cave crawlers, but every bug and even a few of the Specter's men who were down on their hands and knees turned interesting shades of gold and purple, radiant reds and oranges, and vivid blues and greens. A few of the crawlers even had checkered patterns. He-Man glanced around and barely choked back a laugh when he saw that Battle Cat, who had a green-and-white checkered crawler pinned under his claws, was now bright yellow with brilliant blue spots; even his saddle had gone from dark red to almost pink.

"Orko!" the cat growled. A guffaw escaped He-Man, which he quickly stifled as his partner glanced his way. Teela started to giggle too, and had to bite her lip. She-Ra ignored them all and moved on to heal Fisto.

"No," the Specter hissed furiously. "No no no!" He looked around wildly. "Where did Adora go? You fools! She escaped! Find her!"

The men disappeared in an effort to obey their master, who suddenly realized he had just left himself alone, except for the cave crawlers. Unfortunately for him, his pets were growling wildly at each other, apparently not liking their new colors. They backed away against the walls as if they were trying to hide from the collage of color surrounding them.

"You'll pay for this," the Specter promised.

"Oh, I've heard that many times before," He-Man said with a grin. "But since everyone who's made that promise is in prison or gone now, I guess that means you get to be first in line." He tossed his sword from hand to hand. "Want to try to collect now, Specter?"

She-Ra finally got to Beau as the Specter shook his head, backing up a step. "This isn't over, He-Man," he spat as he disappeared down a tunnel. The cave crawlers, still hissing at each other, followed.

"These evil guys all sound alike," He-Man said with a smirk. He found himself suddenly encompassed by familiar arms. Teela and She-Ra were both hugging him, huge grins on their faces. "Hey, take it easy," he laughed. "It's good to see you too." He put an arm around each one of them and hugged them back. Orko flew down and joined in, his thin arms barely reaching around He-Man's neck.

"We were so worried!" Teela said with a mixture of joy and reproach. "Where have you been?"

"Well, Teela, after you chose Adam, I had to have some time for my broken heart to heal," he teased her, while also reminding her that she wasn't supposed to be quite that worried about He-Man being on vacation. Teela pulled away, her mouth open in speechless astonishment.

"See? I told you," Fisto said to Mekaneck.

He-Man laughed heartily, Hawk and She-Ra quickly joining in. "I'm only kidding around, guys. Teela and Adam belong together, and I'm thrilled they've finally owned up to their feelings for one another. I was getting tired of trying to pair them up."

"You were trying to get them together?" Fisto echoed doubtfully.

"For ages," He-Man confirmed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Teela was already sputtering, and he knew he'd pay for this later, but he figured it was one way to keep the rumors at bay. "They were pretty dense about it, but I knew they were meant for each other."

Teela crossed her arms and glared at him. "You just wait until later," she hissed. He-Man winked at her, and she couldn't keep it up; she giggled.

"We've missed you, He-Man," Fisto said, holding out his hand. He-Man shook it enthusiastically, then was greeted by Hawk and Mekaneck in the same manner.

Beau approached, a slight look of awe on his face as he almost shyly held out his hand. "Beau," He-Man greeted him, then hastily added, "isn't it?" He'd forgotten he wasn't supposed to know Beau yet. "Duncan thought you'd be here," he said to explain how he'd already known the man's name.

"P-pleased to meet you," Beau said, his gray eyes wide.

"I'm glad you're back," Mekaneck said somberly. "Prince Adam's been missing for the last five days."

"Adam's all right," He-Man assured his friend. "Duncan and Lana found him earlier today, just outside the Banshee Jungle."

"What was he doing there?" Teela asked, her brow furrowed.

"Actually, Adam doesn't know," He-Man admitted, his exuberance fading some as he recalled that fact. His face and tone grew serious. "He woke up in the jungle four days ago. He doesn't know how he got there."

"So his whereabouts that first afternoon and night are unknown?" Teela asked, her voice sounding hollow.

"Right," He-Man replied, looking at her curiously. He wondered if it were a trick of Orko's globe that she looked paler all of a sudden.

"Did Man-at-Arms have to arrest him, then?" Mekaneck asked, his eyes hidden by his visor but his voice betraying his sadness.

"Arrest him?" He-Man repeated, his blood running cold and his muscles suddenly feeling numb. "For what?"

"You haven't heard?" Fisto asked, his face downcast. He-Man glanced around; those who knew his secret were either staring at him in despair or studying the ground intently. "That's right," Fisto continued, "you probably didn't if you just got back. Lady Amanda accused Adam of getting her pregnant."

"I did hear that one," He-Man said impatiently. "You could be on Phantos and still hear about it, but I don't believe it for a second."

"We don't either, but I'm surprised you didn't hear the rest of it," Hawk interjected steadily, hoping his friend got the underlying message that he believed in him. "Lady Amanda was killed a few hours after Adam disappeared."

He-Man was sure must have gotten clawed by one of the cave crawlers, because he suddenly couldn't breathe. "Killed? Amanda's dead?" he echoed weakly.

Fisto raised an eyebrow. "You knew her too, He-Man?"

"I ran into her once or twice," he answered noncommittally, still trying to accept the idea.

"She was stabbed in her own home," Mekaneck added soberly. "And an eyewitness saw someone matching Adam's description leaving the house."

Nausea churned in his stomach. Battle Cat, sensing his master's mood, walked over next to him. He-Man absently put a hand on the saddle to steady himself. _Ancients, no. Please don't let it be true._ "It can't be true," he said aloud, his voice lacking conviction.

"I don't think it is," Hawk said firmly, drawing He-Man's gaze along with everyone else's. "I think it's all a set-up." He frowned. "But I also thought the Specter was behind it. Now I'm not so sure."

At the mention of the Specter, He-Man cursed aloud and mounted up on Battle Cat, his friends staring at him apprehensively. "The Specter sent Skeletor's cronies after the king and queen. We've got to get back to the palace right away." He couldn't believe he'd forgotten all about it. "Beau, can you lead us out of here?" The young man nodded and started walking rapidly down a narrow tunnel. The others fell into line behind him.

"How do you know?" She-Ra demanded. "And why aren't you there?"

"Duncan, Lana, and Adam were on their way in to find you when Duncan overheard the Specter talking to Trap Jaw," He-Man explained impatiently. "He told the rest of us, and Duncan and Lana went back to protect the king and queen. I had a feeling I was needed here." With the return of the sword's protective magic, no one questioned where Adam had gone…and he didn't give them a chance to. "Do you have a wind raider or a track here?"

"A wind raider and two sky sleds, actually," Teela answered.

"Good. Fly back to the palace as quickly as you can; Battle Cat and I will meet you there."

"After you turn me back to the right color!" Battle Cat growled to Orko.

"Um, sure thing, pal," the little Trollan agreed hastily, cracking his fingers. Battle Cat tensed in preparation and watched his paws as he walked. Orko turned him a much more acceptable shade of black, then tried again and got his coloring right. The tiger breathed a silent sigh of relief.

* * *

She-Ra drummed her fingers impatiently as they flew back. She and Hawk were sitting in the wind raider with Orko, Teela and Fisto; Mekaneck was on a sky sled. Beau had taken one of the sky sleds back to Bereathia at Teela's urging. She hadn't wanted him caught up in any more trouble when his father was still angry with the royal family. There were no reports of anything wrong at the palace, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.

"Where do you think Adam was?" Hawk's voice rumbled close to her ear.

She-Ra shook her head miserably. "I don't know, Hawk. But it seems to me that all the evidence is a little too convenient. If Adam were having a flashback and killed Amanda, we would have been able to trace how he got to her house, because it wouldn't have been planned. And if it were planned, Adam is much too smart to have left such clear evidence against himself."

"I agree," her fiancé said as the palace came into sight. "But I'm not sure how to prove it."

"Neither am I," she murmured.

* * *

The group landed in the hangar, and was immediately greeted by the sight of Duncan, Lana, and a few guards lying motionless on the floor. Beastman had the queen slung over his shoulder; the king, bound and gagged, was already in a wind raider.

"Stop right there, you creeps!" Teela yelled, jumping out of the wind raider with her freeze ray ready.

"Look who's come to play," Clawful said in his annoyingly echoing voice, happily clicking his claws together in anticipation.

"It's bad enough you're trying to kidnap the king and queen, but stealing one of our vehicles too?" She-Ra quipped as she landed lightly beside Teela. "I'd say the Specter isn't paying you boys enough."

For once, Trap Jaw and Tri-Clops didn't waste any time talking. They were off to the side of the heroes. Immediately recognizing their advantage, they began firing stun beams, managing to hit Fisto and Mekaneck right away. She-Ra dove at Hawk, shoving him out of the way, and blocked a shot with her arm band as Orko dodged another beam.

"Looks like you've been practicing," She-Ra taunted the two villains, getting to her feet with her sword drawn.

"She-Ra, you've got to disable the wind raider," Hawk said urgently. She glanced over and realized he was right. While she'd been busy with the other two villains, Beastman had put Marlena in the wind raider and was already climbing into the front seat next to Clawful.

"Oh no you don't!" she called out as she gathered her strength and somersaulted into the air. Her plan was to land in front of the wind raider, but she could already hear the engines racing. _I'm too late!_ she thought. Yet somehow, she did end up in front of it.

"What's going on?" Beastman snarled.

"Well, I didn't want you to leave without saying hello," answered He-Man from behind, where he had a hold of the wind raider. Marlena and Randor exchanged wide-eyed, joyous looks. "I haven't seen you in months, Beastman. I've missed you."

"He-Man!" Beastman and Trap Jaw exclaimed.

"Tha-That's impossible! You're d-dead!" Tri-Clops stuttered. "Show yourself if you're real!"

"All right, if you insist," He-Man called back. "Got it, She-Ra?"

"Sure thing, He-Man," she answered with a grin, grabbing onto the wind raider.

He-Man stepped out from behind the machine, and Tri-Clops, who had been locked in hand-to-hand combat with Hawk, let go and backed up. "But I heard you died of injuries in the last battle with Hordak and Horde Prime."

"I thought Prince Adam banished you from the kingdom so he could have Teela to himself," Beastman snarled, jumping out of the wind raider and keeping it between himself and the hero.

"Where do you people come up with this stuff?" Teela interjected, annoyed.

"Well I heard you went chasing after Skeletor to bring him back for trial," Clawful added, also scrambling out of the wind raider and away from He-Man.

"I thought you went back to wherever it was you came from," Trap Jaw said, pointing his laser arm at He-Man.

"Gee, Trap Jaw, that one might be the closest to the truth," He-Man admitted cheerfully, his sword drawn and raised at the ready. "But I'm back now. You four don't stand a chance against all of us. So why don't you all just run along and tell the Specter that we'll see him soon?"

The four villains wisely scurried to do as they were told, half-running and half-falling down the hillside outside the hangar within seconds. Battle Cat let out a roar, and they increased their pace as if they thought the great cat was right on their heels. He-Man watched them go, his arms folded and his thoughts elsewhere as She-Ra and Teela tended to their parents, the guards, Fisto, and Mekaneck. He finally turned when he heard his father's voice.

"He-Man! You're back! Thank the Ancients!" Randor exclaimed. He got out of the wind raider, seeming slightly unsteady on his feet, and He-Man reached out a hand to assist him. His father uncharacteristically grasped his arm with enthusiasm, and He-Man knew that if he were Adam, Randor would have embraced him whole-heartedly.

"He-Man! It's so good to see you again!" Marlena said warmly, coming up alongside him and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said with a genuine smile.

"He-Man?" Duncan asked, his voice full of disbelief. The hero looked over at his mentor and Lana, both of whom had been healed by She-Ra and were now staring at him open-mouthed. "How? When?"

"I'll tell you later," he promised them. His eyes challenged Duncan. "And I believe you have some explaining to do as well." Duncan flushed slightly, and suddenly wasn't quite as eager as he had been to hear Adam's story.


	22. Chapter 22: Aftermath

_A/N: The Reader Tracker on this web site rocks! I'm astounded that there are people all over the world reading these stories! Thank you ALL for your support and encouragement. Thanks to Little Llama Girl for beta-reading for me, even when she's busy. And no, I don't make any money off of these stories…in fact, they probably cost me money because of all the electricity I use to stay up late at night working on them. ;-)_

* * *

Later was only a few minutes away, as it turned out. Randor wanted to talk to He-Man—and the hero noted uneasily that the king stressed "He-Man" ever so slightly—immediately. He-Man of course graciously agreed, so all of them, minus Fisto and Mekaneck, filed into the conference room where less than a week ago Adam had sat facing Amanda's accusations.

As soon as the door had shut, Randor and Marlena engulfed He-Man in the hugs they had wanted to give him in the hangar, and he eagerly but carefully returned them. "Are you two all right?" he asked, even as Teela nearly tackled him with a hug and buried her face against his chest. His arms went around her automatically and he held her tightly, breathing in her fresh, light scent with a wave of emotion that forced him to shut his eyes for a few seconds.

Randor released a bark of laughter at He-Man's question. "I was going to ask you the same thing," he said, shaking his head. "Where on Eternia have you been, young man? We've been worried sick!"

"That's right," Teela snapped, trying to hide the tears of relief threatening to run over. She pulled back and punched him in the arm as hard as she could. "I thought I told you not to do that again!"

"Hey!" he protested, rubbing his arm, an injured look on his face. "What's a guy got to do to get some respect around here?" Then his stomach rumbled audibly, and his face flushed slightly. "On second thought, how about some food instead?" Adora and Lana laughed lightly.

"Ancients, Adam, I'm sorry, I forgot you haven't eaten much," Duncan said, slapping a hand to his forehead. "I'll call up to the kitchen right away."

"Have them bring all of us dinner here, Duncan," Randor ordered. "It's more private."

As he spoke, She-Ra transformed back into Adora, but when He-Man unsheathed his sword to relinquish the power as well, Randor's hand suddenly stayed his arm. He looked to his father, not really surprised.

"Don't," the king said, in a voice that sounded almost panicked. He swallowed hard, his eyes begging his son's forgiveness. "After Duncan found you, I had to sign the warrant for Adam's arrest. I couldn't hold off the noblemen any longer. There's too much evidence against you." Randor swallowed hard. It had been one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do in his life. His hand had shaken as he signed it, and his signature didn't look quite right. "I'm sorry, son."

He-Man understood immediately. If he turned back into Adam and he was seen in the palace, his own family and friends would have no choice to but to arrest him. As long as he was He-Man, they could avoid the situation.

"I think you'd better tell me everything," he said quietly, crossing his arms.

Duncan cleared his throat uneasily. "I suppose that would fall to me, He-Man," he admitted reluctantly. A fine sweat broke out on his brow as he relayed the story of how they first realized Adam was missing, then learned about Amanda the next day. He-Man's appetite disappeared as Duncan expounded on the evidence against him—the eyewitness, the scratch marks the murderer would bear, and Cringer himself picking up Adam's scent at the scene. Yet at the same time, Duncan never mentioned that Adam had had scratch marks on his cheek or blood on his clothes when he'd been found; only Duncan, Lana, and He-Man knew that, and the older warrior wasn't ready to point it out just yet.

He-Man had been standing when Duncan began; by the time his mentor was finished with the entire story, He-Man was sitting, and he wasn't quite sure how he had gotten there. Battle Cat came over and laid his head on his partner's knee and began purring.

"By the Ancients," he breathed, his eyes wide in horror. Before he could utter another word, Marlena had crossed the room and slapped him across the face, the sound echoing throughout the room. He-Man's eyes grew even wider as he stared at his mother in stunned silence.

"I'm sorry, dear," she apologized matter-of-factly, "but you looked like you needed it."

Adora couldn't help it; she laughed aloud. "Mother's right," she agreed between giggles. "You looked as if you were convinced of your own guilt and about to sign a confession." She stopped cold at the look on her brother's face. "He-Man?" she asked hesitantly.

He swallowed hard and stared at Duncan. "You should have told me. You had every reason to arrest me when you found me," he said hoarsely. "Why didn't you?"

The old warrior met his gaze steadily. "I don't believe you killed Amanda."

"You have a job to do," He-Man said, his voice steady and, he hoped, understanding. "Don't turn your back on your duty out of loyalty to me."

Duncan kept his own doubts pushed to the back of his mind and didn't bat an eye. "I already did. If the king wishes to remove me from my post because of it, then that is his right."

The others had watched the exchange in utter confusion. The knock at the door signaling the arrival of their food caused everyone to jump. The servants bringing in the food took stock of the tension in the room and arranged the table as quickly as they could. Adora searched for a way to lighten the mood in the room while the servants were present, at least.

"You know, He-Man," she commented casually, "for someone who hates fighting, you sure did seem to enjoy yourself today."

Her comment caught him off-guard, and he grinned sheepishly. "I did," he admitted. "I haven't felt that well in months."

"So the vacation did you some good," Randor observed casually as the servants finished putting out the food and plates. "Thank you," he said to them.

"It did," He-Man agreed reluctantly, then added, "especially the last few days. I slept better last night than I have since before you were kidnapped by Hordak, even if I was sleeping in a sealed-off cave."

"Really?" Marlena asked, one eyebrow raised. "I think I would like to hear the rest of this story, He-Man."

The servants shut the door, and the smell of food, combined with the memory of Good's voice speaking to him, strengthened He-Man's spirits. He was able to eat as he explained to them what had happened, from the time he'd woken up to his experience in the cave, where they began to interrupt him.

"So 'Good' actually spoke to you," Randor repeated somewhat doubtfully.

"My God," Marlena breathed.

"That's right," He-Man confirmed. "And there's more." He went on to relate the timing of the earthquake, Duncan and Lana's arrival, the sense that he needed to stay and search for Adora, Teela, and the others, and Cringer's timely arrival with his sword.

"Incredible," Hawk murmured. "When you appeared as He-Man today, I assumed you had gone to retrieve your sword."

He-Man shook his head. "It had never even crossed my mind that I was ready to claim it again." _But obviously HE knew,_ he reflected.

"What happens now?" Orko asked.

He-Man was the one who answered, standing as he did so. "Now Adam turns himself in, as he should," he said somberly, raising one arm to draw his sword, only to have Duncan and Teela, who had carefully placed themselves on each side of him when dinner was brought in, grab his wrists before he could complete the action.

"No, He-Man, don't," Teela said.

"Adam was set up," Duncan stressed. "At least give us a few days to prove it."

He-Man found himself staring at Duncan once again. "How can you believe that?" he asked. "I'm not even sure."

"Look, just because you can't account for your whereabouts," Hawk began, but He-Man interrupted him.

"There's more," he said flatly. In spite of Duncan's tightening grip on his arm, the hero looked around at his family and friends and told them the rest. "I had scratch marks on my face when I woke up in the Banshee Jungle. And blood all over my shirt and tunic. I may not remember anything from that first day, but it sure sounds like…" he swallowed hard, but was unable to voice the exact words, "like I did it."

Silence met his words as each of them tried to absorb their meaning. Teela's mouth was bone-dry all of a sudden; the food she had been chewing might as well have been sawdust. Her role as Captain of the Guard required her to arrest Adam. There was no grace simply because he was her fiancé. Duncan had had years of putting Adam's safety and duties before his own; Teela had never had to make such a choice, and the pressure froze her for a second.

It was Adora who stood suddenly, her chair flying back from the force of it. "That's ridiculous," she snapped at He-Man, leaning forward and slamming her hands down on the table. "Do you really think that this 'Good,' as you call it, would watch you kill someone and then hand you back your sword four days later?"

He-Man opened his mouth, then closed it again. He shook his head, not having an answer for that one.

Teela stood as well, turning to King Randor at the head of the table. "Your Majesty, I hereby resign my post as Captain of the Guard," she said formally. "I-"

"Teela, no," He-Man interrupted, overwhelmed by what she was willing to do for him. "Don't do this."

"I will not choose my duty over my love," she told him firmly, her brow furrowed in angry determination.

"It's not necessary, Teela," King Randor interrupted. He drummed his fingers thoughtfully for a moment as the others watched. He-Man, Teela, and Adora slowly sat back down. "My children's lives have been threatened," Randor mused aloud. "We have some reason to believe that someone has framed Adam for this murder. And what better place to have him killed than in prison?" There were a few audible gasps; this evidently hadn't occurred to anyone else in the room. "He-Man, I would appreciate it if you would remain here at the palace for a few days and assist Man-at-Arms with the investigation into Lady Amanda's murder," Randor said formally. "I think Adam is safest where he is now."

"But Your Majesty," He-Man protested, falling easily into the old way of addressing his father, before Randor knew his secret.

"He-Man, I realize that I cannot order you to do something," Randor said, his brown eyes serious and respectful. "But please humor a worried father. Give us three days to look into this. Then you can get Adam for us."

Tears burning at the back of his eyes at this unexpected show of support, He-Man could only nod.

The group talked further into the night as Adora, Hawk, and Teela shared all that had happened in the Specter's caverns. Adora was visibly upset; her lips trembled frequently, and her arms were crossed defensively. Hawk placed a casual arm around her shoulders, giving her silent support.

By the time they were done, everyone except for He-Man was yawning broadly. Marlena's eyes were actually watering from exhaustion. Duncan's head was bobbing down and up. Orko had completely given up and was sleeping on Battle Cat's saddle. Battle Cat had apparently worn himself out quite a bit running around as Cringer; he too was sound asleep.

"I know there's more to discuss," Randor said wearily, "particularly about this Specter fellow, but I fear we need to let it rest until morning." He gave He-Man a sour look. "Unlike you, He-Man, none of us have slept well since Adam disappeared."

He-Man flushed slightly. "I'm sorry, sire," he said automatically.

Randor chuckled as he stood and led the way out. "Lighten up, son," he said easily. Conscious of being overheard in the hallways, he went on. "I'd like you to stay in Adam's room, He-Man. I want you close by in case of trouble, and it's the only open room in the royal wing right now."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," He-Man replied with a slight smirk.

* * *

A soft knock on Lana's door had her hesitating. She had been just about to climb into bed, but instead she quickly pulled on a thick pink robe, calling out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Mother."

Lana crossed the small entryway and opened the door with a surprised smile, drawing her soft robe around her tightly and tying the belt. "Teela! Is everything all right?"

Teela raised one hand, then let it fall. "I want to see Adam," she admitted, walking in without waiting for an invitation.

"I see," Lana said softly, closing the door. Teela certainly couldn't go to "He-Man's" room at this hour; if anyone saw her, the scandal would be as bad as any of the others they were facing.

"I was so worried about him, and not being able to be there with him right now like I want…" Teela tried to explain. She made a face. "Oh, it's so frustrating!"

Lana suppressed another smile and was about to ask Teela if she should get He-Man for her when another knock sounded at her door.

"Lana?" He-Man's deep voice called quietly. "Are you still up?"

Lana quickly crossed the room and opened the door again. "It seems you two are on the same wavelength," she commented dryly as she stood aside to let him in.

"What are you talking about?" he asked in confusion as he entered. "I saw your light still on and I wanted to let someone know I'm going over the Grayskull first thing in the morning. I didn't want anyone panicking because I was gone again." Then he caught sight of Teela and went still.

Lana cleared her throat. "Why don't the two of you go into the sitting room?" she suggested. "I'll stay in my bedroom in case you need me." She crossed the small foyer to the door on the other side, smiling as she half-shut it behind her.

He-Man automatically offered Teela his arm, which she took demurely, averting her eyes. Once they had entered the other room, however, she let go and stepped away. "Change back," she requested softly.

He-Man studied her face carefully. "Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly. "I don't-"

"I'm not going to arrest you, dummy," she said impatiently, her hands going onto her hips. No sooner had He-Man drawn his sword and relinquished the power than Teela was in his arms. His sword thudded to the carpeted floor as she held Adam tightly, tears seeping out from between squeezed eyelids.

"Hey," he said softly. "It's okay, Teela." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you," she said into his shirt. "And I was so worried." She looked up, her eyes flashing. "Don't you ever go off by yourself again, you hear me? At least take that stupid cat with you. Do you know-?"

Adam captured her mouth with his to silence her. She returned the kiss eagerly, her hands creeping up to his shoulders as Adam traced the side of her neck lightly with his fingers.

"You're beautiful," he told her hoarsely, his breathing heavy. "Especially when you're angry with me."

"I don't know how you can tell," she sniffed. "I can never stay mad at you." She stood on tiptoe and nibbled at his ear; Adam stifled a groan.

"Teela, what are you doing?" he whispered.

"I missed you," she repeated, tracing his jawline with kisses. Then she moved her mouth moved back to his and pressed herself against him. When they finally broke apart a few minutes later, Adam forcibly put her away from him, turned and walked across the room, thankful there were no windows to be wary of. Teela started the follow him, but he held up a hand, his eyes begging her to understand that he couldn't take any more. She smiled knowingly and sauntered out of the room, exaggerating the sway of her hips as she walked. Adam groaned and laid his head back against the cool stone wall. _I wonder if we could move the wedding up to tomorrow._

Teela was talking casually with her mother in the foyer when He-Man walked out a few minutes later. He gave her a smoky look, and Teela lost track of what she'd been about to say.

"My," Lana said mildly. "Looks like that between the two of you will fuel the rumor mill for years to come."

"I don't know what he's glowering about," Teela protested innocently. "All I did was give him an added incentive to clear Adam's good name. Since He-Man was so anxious for us to get together in the first place, I thought he'd like to help."

He-Man quirked an eyebrow at her. She might be pretending that it had been an act to get him back for that comment, but he knew better. So he merely gave her a lopsided smile that didn't quite mask the desire still lingering in his eyes. "Good night, ladies," he said meaningfully, and returned to his own room.

"Shame on you daughter, tormenting your fiancé like that. He'll get you back on your wedding night you know," Lana warned her teasingly.

Teela smiled even as a shiver raced down her spine. _I can't wait._

* * *

As he had expected, He-Man woke before dawn. He showered and performed the rest of his morning rituals, then stood at the window for a moment, drawing deep shuddering breaths. One hand reached up to rub at his neck.

Everything felt so surreal. On one hand, he felt physically better than he had in months. Emotionally as well—he was relatively sure he'd had no dreams of Teela dying in the last two nights, and he didn't know the last time he had gone two nights in a row without waking in a cold sweat or waking himself with his own yell. He felt incredibly rested and refreshed. Yet at the same time, the weight of this accusation felt as if it were heavier than Castle Grayskull itself. _Could I have done it?_ he asked himself for the hundredth time. He knew if he were the judge, there would be no question. The evidence was all there.

Once again Adam shut his eyes and strained his memory, trying to think of anything he could about leaving the castle that day. He remembered walking, the Evergreen Forest whispering in the breeze, the tall grass brushing his legs. He had gone downhill, into a slightly swampy area where there had been a fine fog…He-Man's eyes snapped open. There was frequently fog in that area in the morning. In fact, oftentimes through noon and occasionally on particularly humid or rainy days, it would remain all day. But he hadn't started on his way back until mid-afternoon. It had been a clear, dry, warm day. There had been no reason for that fog to still linger there.

"Cat!" He-Man said, excitement growing in the pit of his stomach. "Let's go! We have work to do."

Adora sat on her bed, hugging her pillow hard. She could hear her brother's door open and close, and his quiet footsteps and the click of Battle Cat's nails go down the hall. Once silence had returned to the royal wing, she pressed her mouth against the pillow and let the tears fall once again.

"I created that monster," she sobbed quietly to herself. "How many more did I create? How many people died in the prison mines? How many?" The phrase echoed over and over in her mind. _How many? How many?_

"Why did you do this to me?" she suddenly raged at Hordak as if he were standing in front of her. "Why couldn't you leave us alone? Why did you have to kidnap me? Why couldn't-" Adora stopped short in horror. The sentence might have been left incomplete, but the thought wasn't. _Why couldn't it have been Adam?_

"Oh First Ones, no," she sobbed into her pillow. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

There was a gentle knock on her door. Adora pressed her lips together, hoping whoever it was would just go away if they thought she was asleep. A moment passed, and the knock came again. "Adora, I'm coming in whether you're ready or not," Marlena said firmly. Adora still didn't reply, and a minute later Marlena walked in, gently closing the door behind her, and went around the bed to face her daughter.

Marlena hadn't slept much during the night. Everyone had been so exhausted that the group's encounter with the Specter had not been picked apart like Adam's experiences. But she had watched Adora's face. Last night, as now, her heart had broken at the haunted look in her daughter's eyes.

"Oh, sweetheart," she murmured, sitting down on Adora's bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Adora shook her head frantically, her blond hair clinging to her red, blotchy face. Then the tears leaked out again and she started sobbing. Marlena reached out and pulled Adora into a warm, motherly hug. Adora closed her eyes and drew strength from the queen.

"I'm not fit to be a princess," she said between her sobs. "I've done such awful things, ruined so many lives, Mother."

"Nonsense," Marlena said firmly. "That evil Specter planted that idea in your head, Adora. It's not true."

Adora sniffled and didn't let go of Marlena. "It is," she mumbled.

Marlena pulled away and grabbed Adora by the shoulders, looking intently into her daughter's eyes. "And why do you think it's true?" she demanded. "Why are these doubts suddenly hitting you now?"

"It's not sudden," Adora protested, wiping at her eyes and struggling to get herself under control. "I love you all, but I'm not cut out to be a princess."

"Oh really?" Marlena said, a slightly sarcastic edge to her voice. "You seemed to be a natural leader on Etheria."

"That was different," Adora said dismissively. "I was still fighting. That's what I was trained for my whole life. I wasn't raised to be a princess."

"And you think I was?" Marlena challenged her. "You and I are more alike than you realize Adora. I was not raised on Eternia either."

Adora's mouth opened and closed again. She had never given much thought to that common bond with her mother before. Marlena seemed to belong here so naturally. "But even so, that doesn't change the fact that I enslaved thousands of people."

"And you helped to free them again," Marlena said, pride in her voice as she stood. "What you did as a slave to the Horde is not what is important, Adora. What matters is what you do now that you have free will."

Adora wanted to believe her mother, but the guilt was still eating away at her. It was like a fungus that was just growing on her, becoming heavier and heavier with each passing day.

Marlena seemed to read her mind. She reached down and grasped her daughter's hand, pulling the younger woman to her feet. "Guilt is a poison, Adora," she said softly, her own blue eyes mesmerizing Adora's. "It will eat away at you until you have nothing left to give anyone. Don't let it destroy you. You have so much love and goodness within you. If you didn't, you wouldn't be She-Ra." She hugged her daughter tightly. "Forgive yourself and move on, Adora. Don't waste your life on regret."

* * *

Hopeful because of his most recent hunch regarding the day he'd disappeared, He-Man fairly sauntered into Grayskull, Battle Cat trailing behind. In spite of the early hour, Serena was wide awake and on her throne, as he'd known she would be. Even from the main floor, he could see she was trying to suppress a smile at his attitude, so he winked at her.

"I see you got your sword back safely," she said in amusement. "And you seem to be enjoying it."

"You knew all along," he accused her good-naturedly. Battle Cat gave a great yawn, stretched out against a wall, and promptly fell asleep.

"No," Serena denied. "I was asked to take your sword away, and I did so. I did not know how it would turn out."

"Oh?" He-Man questioned her, turning more serious. He quirked an eyebrow at her wording. "Who asked you to take the sword away? Someone other than Duncan?"

She smiled slightly at him. "You're very perceptive, He-Man."

"And you're trying to change the subject," he retorted with a grin.

Serena finally laughed. "I think we've had this conversation before."

He-Man chuckled as well, but quickly pressed her again. "Who was it, Sorceress?"

"It was me."

"Zodac!" He-Man exclaimed, half-turning to find the Cosmic Enforcer on his right. He probably shouldn't have been surprised he was involved in all of this. "But why?"

"Because you needed rest, and you needed time to accept all that had happened to you," Zodac explained patiently. "If you had had your sword, you would not have had the flashbacks. Without them, you would not have gone to Man-at-Arms for counseling and you would not have allowed yourself to grieve and heal. Without that, you would have reached the breaking point, Adam, even with the magic of the sword to protect you. Someone would have gotten hurt, not because you would have chosen to hurt them as Darren did, but because you would have eventually lost control."

He-Man stared at Zodac for a moment, stunned by the Enforcer's words. Sure, he buried his emotions, and in his head he knew it wasn't a healthy thing to do, but his guise as the light-hearted Adam required it. So he simply pushed aside the knowledge. He had also known with the flashbacks there was a chance he could hurt someone, but this, the idea that he had been that close to snapping because of his own stress levels, was terrifying.

"By the Ancients," he breathed. The matter-of-fact-way that Zodac was talking assured him it had been more of a certainty than a possibility. Then a possible underlying meaning of the Enforcer's words occurred to him, diverting his thoughts.

"Wait," he said urgently. "Does that mean I _didn't_ kill Amanda?"

Zodac smiled peacefully at him. "I cannot answer that. You must discover the truth for yourself." He rose up into the air and disappeared in a ball of light.

"I hate it when he does that," He-Man grumbled.

"It can be rather annoying," Serena agreed, her hand picking at one of the white feathers tickling her neck. "Did you come here for a reason, He-Man?"

"I wanted to thank you for sending the sword to me," he answered thoughtfully. "But perhaps I should thank you for taking it away instead."

"You could try thanking me for both," she replied dryly.

"All right," he agreed with a smile. "Thank you for putting me through three months of anxiety to help me deal with my underlying stress levels and for helping return the sword to me at the most opportune time. How's that?"

Serena put a finger to her cheek, pondering his words. "I believe that about covers it," she finally said in acquiescence. He-Man's smile faded slowly and he stared at her for a moment. "What is it?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. "I sense a sudden concern from you."

"How are you doing?" the hero asked, his tone serious. "You gave up a lot to take this post, Sorceress." He gave a self-deprecating smile. "And you did it to save my hide, which I don't think I ever thanked you for."

"Indeed you did not," she agreed easily, ignoring his question.

He-Man shook his head. "You're as good as I am, I have to admit."

"At what?" the Sorceress asked innocently.

"Skirting an issue, changing the subject, giving an answer without really giving one," he rattled off. "Must be a lawyer thing."

"Yes, because you were obviously studying to be a lawyer when I met you," Serena said in a slightly sarcastic tone, though a smile lit her face.

He-Man shrugged. "Prince, lawyer…you have to know a lot of the same things." He gave her a mock-glare. "And I didn't forget the question. How are you?"

Serena finally came down from her throne to stand before him. "I am all right," she said, meeting his blue eyes steadily. "I am a bit of an introvert by nature, so the solitude has not bothered me much." A genuine smile touched her lips. "Thank you for asking, Adam."

His face broke into a smile as well. "You're welcome, Serena."


	23. Chapter 23: Regrouping

"You should know that Serena would have taken the sword if you hadn't," He-Man informed his mentor matter-of-factly as they sat down to breakfast. "Zodac asked her to."

Duncan's eyes widened. "Don't tell me this was all another test. Why don't they bother Adora for once?"

"Leave me out of this!" Adora exclaimed, alarm in her wide blue eyes.

He-Man chuckled. "No, it wasn't a test this time." He stuffed a forkful of scrambled eggs in his mouth, hoping they'd let the subject drop.

"Then why?" Lana asked. "I thought Serena had another motive, but I couldn't figure out why she would want your sword taken away."

Swallowing his egg, He-Man glanced around the table; Miro had gone out early this morning and had not returned yet. The hero stared at Lana as he answered. It was easier to pretend he was just telling the Sorceress for a minute than to acknowledge the truth to his whole family.

"Apparently I was a lot closer to the breaking point than even I knew," he said, his voice low. "The sword's magic can only do so much to help me handle the emotional stress. Unfortunately, it also would have kept anyone, even me, from knowing how stressed I was until I snapped. Zodac said I would have hurt someone. He had Serena take my sword so that I'd be forced to deal with the emotional responses to everything that's happened in the last year." He made a face to show his disgust, then quickly took a bite of a warm sweet breakfast roll.

To their credit, not one of his family or friends said, "I told you so," although Hawk looked as if he were physically biting his lip and Adora quickly crammed honeyberries and toast into her mouth.

Marlena, realizing that the silence would grow indefinitely, stood up suddenly, her chair scraping the stone floor. She came around the table and He-Man stood up automatically as she reached him. She gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "Welcome back, son," she said with a genuine smile.

Randor chuckled. "Yes, welcome back."

Teela entered her father's workshop after breakfast to find He-Man and Duncan already bent over something.

"Well, there is a slight abnormality there, He-Man, but it doesn't prove anything," Duncan was saying. "I'm afraid it could have come from a natural source."

He-Man let out a heavy sigh. "I was so sure."

"So sure about what?" Teela asked, laying a hand on He-Man's shoulder as she came up behind him. She peeked over his shoulder at the microscope and computer readouts in front of them.

"The last thing Adam remembers is walking into a mist that shouldn't have been there," He-Man told her. "I collected some samples of plants and soil there, hoping that if it were some sort of drug or even magic, it might have left some sort of residue." His lower lip stuck out slightly, expressing the disappointment that his eyes hid. "There's nothing there, though."

Teela squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before letting her hand drop. "We'll find something to clear Adam's name," she said almost fiercely. Then she straightened her shoulders and added, "King Randor wants to see all of us in the conference room again."

"Has something else happened?" He-Man asked quickly.

Teela shook her head. "No, he just wants to hash out a plan." She gave him a sad smile. "Apparently he's not sure three days is enough time, but the noblemen think it's too much."

"What has he told them about Adam?" Duncan asked, his black eyebrows pushed together.

"That there's a threat against his life, so he's being held in a secure location," Teela answered with a smirk.

"Well, I guess you can't get too much more secure," Duncan agreed with a chuckle, glancing at He-Man. The hero's only answer was a small lopsided smile.

* * *

As soon as Adora walked into the conference room, Randor pulled her into a hug. Marlena had told him Adora was having doubts about her worthiness, but hadn't had the opportunity to expound further. She hadn't needed to anyway. He had seen the tears welling in Adora's eyes as they had recounted the story last night. He held her tightly now, his heart aching suddenly at the years he had lost with his little girl. He had Hordak to thank for that, of course. Unkind names sprung into his mind, and he barely kept from speaking them aloud.

Adora closed her eyes and soaked in the love of her father—her _true_ father, she reminded herself. "What was that for?" she asked when Randor finally let go. He smiled gently at her.

"I just needed a hug from my little girl," he said fondly. Adora smiled and took a seat next to He-Man, who offered her a warm smile. Adam loved seeing his family back together—even if his grandfather still seemed to be missing, he saw with a glance around the room.

"Where is King Miro?" He-Man asked.

"Once he knew Adam was safe, he had some other business to attend to," Randor responded vaguely, his tone making He-Man's eyes narrow in suspicion. The king looked around at everyone gathered to avoid his son's gaze. Miro had gone, at Randor's urging, to tell his other children about Keely and Keldor. Randor had promised to keep his father's secret until he returned.

"You all know the evidence against Adam is overwhelming," Randor began bluntly, careful of his wording in case someone was listening in. He-Man's hand balled into a fist under the table. "Yet those of us here are the ones who know him best, and we know that he is not capable of premeditated murder, and we believe in him enough to think that even in a flashback, he would not have killed someone."

While the king was speaking, He-Man stared at the table in front of him, carefully examining the way the grain chased itself like streams down a window. As his father finished, he looked up to find Randor staring straight at him.

"We have three days to prove it," Randor added, his voice growing more somber. "There have been no records of any meaning found at Amanda's house, and no one seems to know who the father of her baby might have been. At the same time, this Specter appears to be a real threat, and we have no idea how each of these arranged 'accidents' tie into it all."

Between last night and this morning, Adora was beginning to understand why Adam had had to put on an act to fool his parents for all of those years. Her appreciation for her brother's quandary over the years grew, and she was intimately thankful that she had not had to put on the same pretense. After years of being forced to be someone she was not, she didn't think she could pretend to be someone other than herself ever again. _But isn't that what I have to do as princess?_ she wondered. She mentally shook herself as her father looked her way.

"There's more news," Randor added, frowning. "Adora?"

"Lee, the gardener from Bereathia, woke up this morning," Adora said. Teela's face lit up, and Adora hurried on. "Unfortunately, the poison affected his memory. Whoever it was he owed money to, who he was trying to warn us about…well, he doesn't know a thing about it. He's lost the last four months of his life to that poison, and She-Ra can't fix it." There was a trace of bitterness in her voice.

Teela reached across the table to lay a hand on Adora's. "Without She-Ra, he wouldn't have a life at all," she reminded her friend firmly.

"We need to figure out what to do next," Randor said, raising his hands into the air. "I'd like someone to go to Lee's place and examine his financial records. The investigators have been questioning Amanda's neighbors, family, and friends to see if they can learn who the father might be. Other than that…I'm at a bit of a loss."

"We know that someone has been trying to kill Adam and Adora, and I think it's safe to say that person is not the Specter," Hawk mused aloud. "He didn't want them to die by accident; he wanted to watch Adora's face while he killed everyone she loved."

"Hawk's right," Teela agreed immediately. "It's far more likely that whoever wanted to kill them off is after the throne, and blaming Adam for this murder is just another way of getting him out of the way."

"Which puts us in no better place than we were before," Marlena lamented in disgust. "We still have no idea who it could be."

"Someone who knew our plans fairly well," He-Man said slowly. "That explosion on the mountain took careful planning; so did the smolder bomb. The loose wire in the wind raider, that animal being let loose at Beau's farm…" His voice trailed off.

"And it's someone close to Amanda," Hawk added. He-Man turned startled eyes on the pirate. "Come on, Adam," he said impatiently. "First they tarnished your reputation with that rumor, then they framed you for murder. Amanda was involved, and whoever convinced her to lie about you was someone that she trusted or owed something to. She took a huge risk blaming you when she knew as well as you did that there was no way that baby could be yours. That someone then turned around and betrayed her."

"Sully," Teela breathed.

"Let's not jump to conclusions here," He-Man protested.

"Who's jumping?" Teela snapped at him. "He wouldn't have any trouble turning on another weak, helpless female."

"It would make sense if Lee owed taxes to Sully," Randor agreed slowly, his own eyes reflecting his doubt. "His garden is within Sully's province."

"Sully has too much integrity to do something like that," He-Man argued. He hated the idea of an innocent man getting blamed for this. _What if I did do it? We'd be putting him through Blazes for nothing._

"I don't want to place blame too quickly either, my brother, but who else could it be?" Adora asked.

"Anyone Lee owes money to," He-Man pointed out. "Anyone could have a grudge against us or have an eye on the throne. Sully's so far down the line for the throne, that this just doesn't make sense."

"All right, we'll will bring Lee home today, and take a look at his financial records," Duncan said firmly. "If it's obvious that he owes back taxes, we'll know to examine Sully more carefully. In the meantime, what else can we do?"

"Wait," Teela said, sitting up straight, her eyes glowing. "The plants and soil might not have shown anything, but if Adam was drugged, wouldn't his body have some residual effects or traces left?"

"His hair," Marlena said, her face too taking on some excitement.

"Yes, but we can't run those tests without _Adam_," Duncan stressed. "And that's assuming Grayskull's magic didn't erase those traces." All eyes except for He-Man's turned to Lana in question. The hero already knew what she was going to say. There was a reason he'd bothered to collect the environmental samples.

The former sorceress frowned. "The magic typically purges all impurities, I'm afraid. There's no guarantee it would have removed the drug, but in all likelihood…" She shrugged sadly. "I'm sorry to say, my friends, that it does not seem to be a promising lead."

"I want to go to Amanda's house," He-Man said abruptly.

"I don't think that's wise," Marlena protested.

"If I was there, it might jog my memory," He-Man pointed out. "I'd rather know one way or the other than live in limbo like this."

* * *

He-Man "retrieved" a piece of Adam's hair for Duncan to test, even though he was sure it wouldn't do any good. Then, as it neared lunchtime, he ambled into the kitchen, drawn by the smell of one of his favorite dishes.

"Something sure smells good," he commented innocently to Chef Allen.

"That's my special Eternos Basil Soup," the chef said proudly. "I made it for lunch today, but if you'd like a bowl now, there's plenty."

"Well, if it wouldn't be an imposition, I'd love to try some," He-Man said, trying to maintain a slightly distant yet friendly politeness. People like Chef Allen were the hardest to interact with. He spent way too much time in this kitchen as Prince Adam for the chef not to notice if He-Man acted the same way as Adam.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," the chef said in a jovial tone. "I've missed having Adam around here the last few days; it'll be nice to have a young man with a healthy appetite back in the kitchen." He poured a bowl for He-Man, and the hero carefully took a spot that he didn't normally sit in as Adam. Just as he did when the prince visited, Chef Allen continued talking as he prepared the rest of the meal.

"I'm so glad they found Adam. He's such a nice young man. He'll be a good king. It would have been awful if he had disappeared for good just when he and his father were starting to get along again," Chef Allen said, his small black eyes sparkling with delight.

He-Man knew his face was starting to turn red, but now his eyebrows rose as well, although he said nothing. He didn't need to. There were few secrets in the palace, because Chef Allen would talk to himself if there was no one around, and he knew almost everything about almost everyone. Not in a malicious way, though. He wasn't a gossip. He loved everyone at the palace too much to be mean.

"For a while, King Randor was terribly hard on that boy. Always reprimanding him, whether they were in public or in private. Randor thought Adam was a coward. I _never_ thought that. All you had to do was spend some time around the prince. He has a heart of gold, always puts other people first. And he doesn't panic. I remember one time we had a fire in here, and Adam, calm as could be, went and got the fire extinguisher. He had it out within minutes. Never lost his head. If he's not staying for a battle, I'm sure it's for a good reason, like maybe to go find help."

He-Man swallowed the soup slowly, its thick, savory sauce easing its way down his throat. "I'd say you know Adam pretty well, Chef Allen," he commented casually, trying to keep the surprise from his eyes. _Somehow, I wouldn't be surprised if he's spotted me transforming,_ he thought wryly.

"Then, after they were kidnapped by Skeletor last year, things changed," Chef Allen continued thoughtfully, scratching his double chin. "Randor started giving Adam some things to do that he could handle, things with a more flexible schedule; he stopped trying to force the boy to attend every meeting in the kingdom. And Adam started letting his father know where he was, I think, because Randor hardly ever gets mad at him anymore. They've gotten a lot closer. Then Adora came home. Everything seemed to be how it's supposed be." The chef shook his wooden spoon wildly, tossing red sauce everywhere. A drop splattered onto He-Man's nose, and he wiped it off with a fingertip, amusement filling him as the chef's white hat tipped down lower and lower on his forehead. "Then this Amanda lady starts telling lies about _my_ Adam." He squinted at He-Man. "If Adam killed Amanda, I'll leave the salt out of my recipes for a year. You find the proof to clear him, you hear me?"

He-Man swallowed the last of his soup, which helped choke back the laugh that threatened at the back of his throat. Now he knew why the chef had been so eager to feed him. _And I thought he knew the truth. _"You have my word, Chef Allen, that I'll do my best to clear Adam's name."

* * *

"Any luck, Duncan?" He-Man asked as he re-entered the workshop.

The inventor shook his head. "I'm afraid you and Lana were right, He-Man. Grayskull's magic wiped out any trace of drugs."

"Assuming there ever were any," He-Man pointed out.

"Lad, your hair's long enough that it would have shown the drugs I gave you after the defeat of Hordak and Horde Prime," Duncan countered. "They would have left traces and I did check for them. There was nothing." His mentor met He-Man's troubled eyes, which seemed as stormy as the Eternian Ocean. "We'll get to the bottom of this, Adam."

"What if I did it, Duncan?" He-Man asked in a distraught tone. "How can I live with that?"

Duncan put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't borrow trouble, He-Man."

He-Man swallowed hard, suddenly feeling nauseous. "There's so much evidence against me, though. I still don't understand why everyone is so convinced I didn't do it," he said. "I went to the kitchen earlier for a snack. Even Chef Allen believes Adam is innocent."

Duncan chuckled. "Well he did watch Adam grow up." He quirked an eyebrow at He-Man. "So you went to mooch food from the kitchen, did you?"

He-Man gave a lopsided grin, slightly abashed. "He was making my favorite soup, and I was starved."

Duncan smiled. "Your body's probably trying to catch up from the lack of nutrition the last few days."

"Anyway, I don't know how you can ignore all the evidence against me. I wish I were as sure as the rest of you," He-Man said with a light frown.

Duncan straightened his back and looked He-Man in the eye. "Sometimes you have to believe in a person no matter what the evidence says. You've done that for others, Adam. You shouldn't be surprised that we're willing to do it for you."

* * *

Duncan found himself in a position he disliked--having to delegate out some of the work. It was work he would have preferred to handle personally, simply because he was driven to know the truth. He didn't stop to ask himself what his real motivation was, or what he would do if Adam were guilty. He couldn't think about that.

As a result of divvying up the work, Hawk was to accompany Lana to Lee's gardens to review his financial records, while Teela and Adora stayed to guard the king and queen. Duncan and He-Man would head to Amanda's house later on, both to check in with the investigating unit and take a look around Amanda's house as He-Man wanted.

Adora held Hawk's hand tightly as they walked, wishing she could say all the things on her mind.

"You're not still believing what that pond scum said, are you?" Hawk asked her, his hunter green eyes assessing her reaction.

Adora gave him a crooked smile. "After all you've heard about me, how can you even ask that, Hawk? You're having doubts about marrying royalty because you were a pirate! I'm supposed to be a princess, putting others before myself, serving the people, yet I enslaved thousands of innocents. I can't take the honor. I don't deserve it."

"For the millionth time, you were under a spell," Hawk reminded her, frowning. "And I'm not just having doubts because of my history as a pirate, although I do think that's bound to cause trouble. I'm not sure I can live under this microscope."

Adora shook her head slightly. "And compared to the rebel camp, I feel so isolated here. It seems like everyone's out to get the royal family, and you can't trust anyone."

"Well, we're a pair, aren't we?" Hawk chuckled ruefully.

"A very sad pair," returned a deep, impatient voice behind them.

"He-Man!" Adora exclaimed, turning. _Dratted hallways. I forgot how much our voices carry in here._

"So you two think you're not worthy of being part of the royal family because of what you've done in the past, is that it?" he challenged them, his eyes ice blue and his face expressionless. "You're having doubts about belonging here?"

"Basically, yes," Hawk admitted. Adora nodded.

He-Man glanced around, then pulled them both into a side room, locking the door behind him. Adora watched, bemused, as Hawk looked around. It was an old, unused trophy room, full of awards given to Eternos years ago for the city's assistance to other kingdoms.

"Why am I He-Man?" He-Man asked his sister as he turned to her, frustration lacing his voice.

"What?"

"Why am I He-Man?"

"Because," Adora said flatly. He-Man quirked an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms, waiting. She sighed. "Because you have a good heart. You put others before yourself. You're brave, kind, loving…why are you asking this?"

"You told me once that the sword simply magnified what was in my heart," He-Man reminded her, his blue eyes intense. "It does the same for you, Adora. You shouldn't forget the past, but you can't let regret rule your life. You righted what wrongs you could. You freed the Etherian people, giving up more time with 

your family to do so. You remained as true as a person could under the Horde's evil influence. You never became evil. You may have been forced to serve evil, but you never let it take your heart."

Adora lowered her head, using her hair to cover her face as she reflected on her brother's words, and recalled what her mother had said earlier that day.

"Let me put it this way," her brother said, staring at her intently. "If I killed Amanda while I was under a spell or having a flashback, would you blame me?"

"No, of course not!" Adora answered immediately, meeting his gaze in surprise.

"Then why is it any different for you?" He-Man challenged her.

"Because…it just is." Adora waved her hand in the air, thinking of the sheer multitudes of lives she had ruined. She turned away from him. "You don't know what I've done," she whispered.

"Yes I do," he returned calmly, with no condemnation in his voice. Adora's whirled back around and her blue eyes met her twin's almost frantically.

"What?" She glanced towards Hawk, who was leaning against a wall, toying with a piece of rope as he watched the exchange between the siblings.

"I didn't tell him a thing," the pirate protested.

"He didn't," He-Man affirmed. "Did you think that I didn't hear about the fearsome 'Force Captain Adora' when I was on Etheria? Especially after you captured me, and after you first returned to Whispering Woods." He regarded his sister with love in his eyes. "You enslaved thousands of people, many of whom died in the slave mines. You even killed a few people—though from what I heard, it was always in self-defense. Because of you, families were ripped apart and children were trained to be Horde soldiers." He gave her a small, sad smile. "I knew, Adora."

"You knew all along?" Adora rasped, tears starting to fall down her face. At He-Man's nod, she asked, "And you still came after me? Why?"

"I was sent to find you," He-Man answered simply. "I knew that you weren't evil if the sword was being sent to you. You were just lost. I had to figure out how to bring you back."

"But you didn't even know I was your sister," Adora protested.

"It didn't matter that I didn't know who you were; I knew you were lost and I was the one who had to try to save you," He-Man answered. Adora didn't respond for a moment, and He-Man felt a nudging at the back of his mind and a tug on his heart. "Adora." He waited for her to look at him.

"Sometimes the ones who are lost are the ones who need our love the most," He-Man told her quietly.

He pulled Adora into a hug and held her as she cried once more over the guilt that plagued her. "Good forgave you, Adora," he said quietly into her ear, "or you wouldn't have the sword. Now you need to forgive yourself. It's not a matter of being worthy, Adora. It's a matter of being chosen, accepting the responsibility, and doing the best you can. It's choosing Good no matter what the consequence. You know that. You've told Hawk that." He put a finger under her chin and forced her face up to meet his gaze. "You've allowed the Specter to plant doubts in your heart."

He-Man spoke the truth, Adora realized as she lowered her head against his chest again and fought to control her sobs. She _had_ said something similar to Hawk not long ago. The life of royalty was anything but easy. Being princess wasn't something to be worthy of, but a responsibility to bear. Because that's what it was—duty. Just like being She-Ra. The memories that had plagued her during Adam's absence weren't things she should dwell on in a way that filled her with depression and self-doubt, but should be 

remembered in a way that would help her avoid becoming the type of ruler who used her strength to intimidate others.

He-Man held her as she calmed down, and he felt her nod against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, hoping she would be all right. Then he spotted Hawk pushing off the wall. The pirate paced restlessly for a moment, his black boots snapping on the stone floor.

"I want to talk to you too," Eternia's champion said. Hawk halted and shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms and glaring at He-Man. "What's your problem with being royalty? Too much to handle?" In contrast to the soothing, understanding tone he had used with Adora, his voice now was full of challenge, almost hard. Adora hid a smile. She had talked to Hawk the same way when she was trying to get him to see how evil the Horde was. Adam's instincts in handling the pirate were right-on.

"Sort of. A prince, caught up in protocol and procedures? That's not who I am," Hawk said a bit defensively. "I'm a pirate. I go where the wind and waves take me."

He-Man didn't reply right away. Instead he raised his sword. "Let the power return," he called out.

"Adam!" Adora exclaimed as her brother transformed back into his royal self, "don't! What-?"

"Oh stuff it, Adora," he interrupted impatiently. "You and I both know you're not going to arrest me."

"Well what are you doing?" she asked, her eyebrows raised in confusion and her hands on her hips.

"I want Hawk to look me in the eye and tell me that he's not going to be here when I need him," Adam said flatly, his heart pounding. He only hoped he was right about taking this tract with the pirate. It was a self-centered way to go about it, but he had a feeling Hawk needed this kind of push.

"What are you talking about?" Hawk said, straightening up and looking Adam in the eye. "I've always been there for you. Who helped you rescue Teela and Adora when they were kidnapped by the Syriaks? And I haven't believed this stupid rumor for a minute."

"And who's going to help me when I'm king?" Adam demanded. "Duncan will want to retire close to the same time my father does. I know I didn't get a chance to talk to you about it, but I was counting on you, Hawk, to take his place."

Hawk suddenly recalled Adam watching him in amusement as he prowled around their room at Duke Sully's castle. He had suspected then that the prince had wanted to speak with him about something important, but they had never gotten around to it. Oddly enough, the idea of being man-at-arms appealed to him. Duncan had a certain amount of freedom to investigate issues, protected the royal family, was in charge of the guard without having to run the drills…Adam was still staring at him.

"Why me?" Hawk asked, disbelief in his voice.

"Because you're the opposite of me in a very important way," Adam reminded him. "You don't automatically trust people. Believing the best of everyone can be a strength in forging alliances, but it's ripe for allowing betrayals. I need someone like you to watch my back." He paused for a beat, then added, "And because you've become a very close friend in a very short amount of time, and I think you have a good head on your shoulders. Besides, you'll be married to my sister. I have to find you something to do, since that whole royal navy thing apparently doesn't appeal to you." Adam grinned at his friend, and Hawk returned the smile half-heartedly. Adam held out a hand. "At least think about it?"

Hawk grasped Adam's forearm and nodded. "I will."


	24. Chapter 24: Betrayal

Hawk and Lana opted for an attack track rather a wind raider, as neither of them was very experienced in flying the Eternian machine and they wanted no one else to know where they were going. There was a traitor in the Royal Guard, Hawk was sure, and he wasn't taking any chances that the person might get to Lee's records before they did. As they traveled, Hawk stared out the window blankly, mulling over Adam's offer.

"You seem very quiet, Hawk," Lana commented eventually. "Are you all right?" She realized that she knew little about this man, except for a bit of his history and the fact that he loved Adora with his whole heart.

Hawk turned to her sharply, his eyes seeming to assess her real interest in his answer. Finally he relaxed infinitesimally. "Who were you before you were the Sorceress?" he asked instead of answering her.

Lana smiled. "I was a simple village girl. My people were captured by an evil villain, and I sought out the power of Grayskull to help them. To get that help, I had to become the Sorceress."

Hawk came to attention at that, turning his body towards her further. "How did you handle that change?"

Lana shrugged. "It wasn't easy, Sea Hawk, but it was my duty. I grew used to the solitude and the responsibility because I had to. I was the one who chose to take on the mantle of the Sorceress." She tipped her head, assessing his face. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm not crazy about becoming an Eternian prince by marriage," he admitted. "And the closer we get to setting an actual wedding date, the less I like the role. And the more I see of Adam's life, the less I like the idea," he added a bit dryly.

Lana laughed gaily. "One can hardly judge the life of a prince by Adam's life, Captain. He has a most unusual responsibility and burden to bear."

Hawk snorted. "I find his challenges as prince more intimidating than those of He-Man."

"But remember that many of his challenges are a result of being He-Man," Lana pointed out, her green eyes softening. Hawk nodded his acquiescence to that fact, and Lana added, "Have you talked to Adora about this?"

"I tried," Hawk said, scratching his red beard, "but she insists I'll be fine, and she has her own things to work through. Then Adam…" Hawk stopped, pressing his lips firmly together.

"What did Adam do?" the former sorceress prompted him, her eyebrows pulled together in concern.

"He said he wants me to take Duncan's place when he retires," Hawk said, his voice full of confusion and dismay. "I don't understand why. Duncan is…amazing. He knows Eternian history inside and out, he's an inventor, a scientist, a warrior, a peacemaker…how could Adam possibly think I could replace Duncan?"

The attack track interrupted. "No one could replace Man-at-Arms."

"There! You see?" Hawk asked, throwing his hands in the air. "Even the vehicle knows Duncan can't be replaced."

Lana laughed lightly. "Oh, Hawk, Adam knows you cannot replace Man-at-Arms in every way. But you can offer what is most important. What you may not have seen during your time here is how valuable Duncan's advice and friendship are to the king, and to Adam. You have the same ability to size up a situation and make a swift recommendation, and the same good instincts about people. Adam 

recognizes that he needs someone like you to assist him when he is king. He can hire historians and assistants to research past policies that will help guide his decisions. He can hire scientists and inventors. He cannot hire an advisor who is also a friend. Duncan was a friend to Randor long before Randor became king. Adam no doubt believes he has found the same type of friend in you; one that will stand by him through every trial the kingship throws at him." She reached out and placed a hand on top of his. "And in watching how you have responded to these accusations against Adam, I would say I agree with the prince's choice." Teelana patted Hawk's hand and leaned back in her chair, smiling softly to herself. Yes, she felt her future son-in-law was right about this.

Hawk turned back to stare out the window once more. Her words echoed Adam's, and Hawk knew in his heart that his decision had already been made. He loved Adora and all of her family too much to walk away.

* * *

He-Man and Duncan took a wind raider and headed for Bereathia. "I wish you weren't being so stubborn about this," Duncan grumbled. "We're wasting valuable time, and we're going to be flying home in the dark. It's not safe."

He-Man snorted. "Like any part of my life has been safe lately?" he asked dryly.

Duncan sighed. "Good point." They flew on in silence for a few minutes, then He-Man abruptly cleared his throat.

"Duncan, I want to thank you for believing in me," he said quietly, still staring straight ahead. "It means a lot."

"You're welcome," his mentor replied a bit gruffly. The mid-afternoon sun kept them warm in spite of the cool wind on their faces.

"Duncan," He-Man said hesitantly, glancing at Duncan, then away. Man-at-Arms frowned at the uncertainty in He-Man's voice. "If I did it-"

"If you did it, it was during a flashback and you're not responsible," Duncan asserted harshly, his tone clearly stating that he did not wish to discuss the matter further.

"I agree that's the most likely scenario," He-Man said, his fists involuntarily clenching. "But if I did it, if the evidence is all there, I'm not going to fight it."

"What?" Duncan said, jerking his head around to stare at He-Man. _He can't be serious._

"I'll plead guilty, so there's no trial," He-Man said quietly but resolutely. "If there's a trial, there's a good chance my secret would come out."

"Not necessarily," Duncan protested. "As Adam, you endured torture at Skeletor's hands, you killed Darren," He-Man flinched at that, "and you believed Teela to be dead. Any of it could have resulted in flashbacks."

One side of He-Man's mouth pulled back in a sad smirk as he shook his head. "You and I both know that one thing will lead to another, Duncan. And," he added, his voice sobering further and his eyes suddenly looking wise beyond his years, "He-Man is a hero. Children look up to him, want to be like him. I will not go through a trial in an attempt to be acquitted, only to deface everything that He-Man stands for by revealing that their so-called hero is a murderer."

"But once you've been acquitted, the Sorceress could-," Duncan tried.

"No," He-Man interrupted firmly. "I can't explain it, Duncan, but I have a feeling that if the truth is ever known again, it will be irrevocable. I won't risk it. If I…if I killed Amanda…" He-Man turned his head away from his mentor to hide the tears standing in his eyes. He felt suddenly overwhelmed by the idea. _Even if it was a flashback, how can I live with myself? Please don't let it be true. Please._

Man-at-Arms frowned, his thoughts turning to their limited time. Less than three days, and they were wasting what was left of today going to Amanda's house. He had thought they would have more time. He knew Randor would stall as long as he could, and he had hoped the trial would drag out. They should have had at least another week, and even if Adam had done it, Duncan had expected an acquittal based on the prince's flashbacks. Instead he had less than three days to prove Adam's innocence—an innocence the deepest recesses of his logical mind still doubted.

A glance at He-Man's averted head brought Duncan's focus back to his friend. He reached out and laid a hand on the champion's shoulder. "Things will work out, Adam," he said.

He-Man nodded his thanks but didn't say anything. He didn't trust his voice.

* * *

The Specter paced the length of his private chambers, radiating anger and tension with every step. "Blasted fool," he cursed himself. "I should have been more prepared. I must come up with a new plan. Adora must pay for what she's done."

_And how does that make you any different from the Horde?_

The question echoed in his mind over and over, until he grasped his head with both hands and released an unearthly howl, dropping to his knees on the jagged stone floor. "Stop it, stop it, stop it," he sobbed wildly, curling into a fetal position.

Moments later he calmly rose, dusted himself off, and slowly, methodically, paced through the room. The Specter's eyes traced the light lines in the stone as he walked. He reached the bend in the cave that met his bed, and turned around to find a hooded figure standing in the center of the room.

"What do you want?" he asked calmly.

The assassin pulled back his hood and smiled coldly. "I have a proposition for you."

* * *

It was close to dinner time by the time they arrived at Amanda's house, but neither of them was hungry. He-Man looked up at the house and felt like he was watching one of his parents' recollections on Duncan's memory projector—he had the feeling that he should know this place, but nothing looked familiar.

Duncan returned the posted guard's salute. "Has there been any progress, Lieutenant?" he asked.

"Not much, sir," the portly guard replied, his hazel eyes wandering over to He-Man curiously before returning to Duncan's face. "Lady Amanda was incredibly discreet about her, uh, relationships. Everyone knew they were happening, but the men never came here, so no one in town ever knew who she was seeing." His slightly rounded face turned a shade pink as he spoke. "She kept no records that we've been able to find, other than typical financial information, shopping lists, repairs needed, things of that sort. Nothing of importance."

"I see," Duncan said with a sigh. He glanced over at He-Man, hesitating before he opened the door. "Are you sure about this?"

He-Man nodded firmly, taking a deep breath to steady himself as Duncan pushed the door open, its hinges creaking loudly against the silent walls. As he followed Duncan in, He-Man looked automatically to the left, then up the wide staircase, then to the right where the blood stains still marred the floor and the furniture. As he completed his visual sweep of the immediate rooms, he was hit with the strongest case of déjà vu he had ever experienced. It was all unfamiliar, yet the feeling that he had been here before, done this same thing before…

He-Man stood rock-still, his eyes casting about frantically yet blankly as he tried to pinpoint the source of the feeling. He felt as if there were something literally touching the edge of his memory that he couldn't grasp. He closed his eyes but couldn't relax; the feeling was stronger than before, as if he just concentrated hard enough, he could regain the memory. The clank of Duncan's armor broke through without warning, and the feeling wisped away. He-Man struggled to remember what had caused the elusive sensation, but to no avail.

He-Man opened his eyes to find Duncan staring at him, his face lined with worry. "I can't remember, Duncan," he said hoarsely. "I feel like I've been here before, but I don't recognize anything. It felt as if I were about to remember something; then it was gone." Frustration laced his words, and his muscles grew taut as he spoke.

"Then we're not going to learn anything else by staying here," Duncan replied quietly. "Let's go. There's no point in wasting any more time." He grabbed He-Man's arm in an attempt to turn him around, but the hero's gaze was glued to the bloodstains in the room before him.

"He-Man," Duncan said sternly. The hero turned haunted eyes to his mentor. "Let's go home."

He-Man turned and allowed Duncan to prod him back to the wind raider. A cold knot of fear entered his chest as he tried to accept the idea that he was somehow responsible for Amanda's death.

_Adam._

He-Man glanced at Duncan as they climbed into the vehicle; realizing the older warrior had not spoken, He-Man closed his eyes briefly so he could concentrate better. _Please don't let it be true. Please tell me I didn't do it,_ he begged.

There was no answer, but a feeling of comfort flooded his heart, filling him completely. He-Man forced himself to let go of the anxiety and bask in that comfort for a few moments, suspecting he would need the memory of it in the days ahead.

* * *

Duncan and He-Man arrived back at the palace well after dark. They grabbed some leftovers in the kitchen, Battle Cat joining them in hopes of a scrap or two. He-Man grinned at his partner and gave him a full plate, to which the tiger growled his thanks. The three ate in silence, Battle Cat occasionally glancing at Duncan and He-Man, uncertain of the tension he sensed from Man-at-Arms.

Teela and Adora strode in, stopping suddenly when they saw the two men. "Whoops, I didn't know you two were in here," Teela said, her face reddening slightly. Adora glanced towards the refrigerator.

He-Man couldn't resist teasing them. "In search of some chocolate, ladies?" he inquired innocently, gesturing towards the enormous pieces of fudge-filled chocolate layer cake that now sat before him and Duncan. "I'm afraid you're a little late."

"You're not going to eat all of that, are you?" Adora demanded, eyeing the luscious-looking cake. "Chef Allen was saving some for Adam."

"And Adam very much appreciates it," He-Man said, shoving a large forkful into his mouth. He nearly groaned in ecstasy. It was the first dessert he had had since before he had disappeared and wound up in the jungle.

Teela had opened the refrigerator and was peering in. "Those are the last two pieces," she complained, slamming the door shut.

"Well, I might let you have a bite if you promise to deliver dessert to me every day while I'm in prison," He-Man joked. Adora smacked him on the back of the head, frowning. "Ow," he complained good-naturedly, putting a hand to his head.

"That's not funny, Adam!" Adora snapped.

"Did you remember something today?" Teela asked solemnly, slipping into a chair at He-Man's right.

"No. I just had a weird feeling, like I had been there," he admitted. He held up a forkful of cake and Teela smiled her thanks. Her eyes met his as she ate it, and her stomach suddenly twisted at the flash of desire she saw before he masked it.

"He's also being foolish," Duncan grunted, glowering at his own cake in front of him and oblivious to the heated looks between his daughter and her fiancé. "Maybe you two can talk him out of it."

"Duncan," He-Man warned, his eyes narrowing.

Adora stared at him for all of three seconds before she asked, "You're not being stupidly self-sacrificing again, are you?"

He-Man's mouth opened slightly at that description as Duncan burst into laughter. "That's exactly it!" the old warrior exclaimed. When He-Man didn't respond, Duncan continued, "He said if the evidence shows he's guilty, he's not letting it go to trial, even though it would probably mean an acquittal because of his flashbacks."

Teela crossed her arms and glared at He-Man. "Is that so?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "I won't risk the truth coming out that Adam and I are one and the same."

Adora sighed heavily. "I had a feeling you were going to say that." She offered the other two a sad smile. "I understand what Adam's saying, actually. He-Man and She-Ra are larger than life representatives of all that is good. We can't let our actions as Adam and Adora tarnish that if we can help it."

Duncan scowled at her, his eyes dark and stormy. "Fat lot of help you are."

Impulsively, Teela grasped He-Man's hand. "You're not going to prison without marrying me," she said desperately, tears welling in her eyes. "If you're going to plead guilty, you're marrying me first."

He-Man reached up and cupped her cheek gently. Teela leaned into his hand slightly as his thumb dried a stray tear. "No, Teela," he said gently. "If it comes to that," his voice grew thick as he spoke, "then you need to move on. I can't ask you to wait for me. I won't."

Teela's green eyes sparked with anger and pierced his soul as she replied, ferocity burning in her voice. "I'll wait anyway."

* * *

The next morning they were anxiously awaiting a report from Lana and Hawk. The two had called in the evening before to say only that Lee's records were incredibly messy, and it would take time for them to sort through everything to find out to whom Lee might actually owe money.

"He-Man, I've decided to fly out there myself," Duncan informed his friend. "Neither one of them are used to Eternian financial records, and depending on how much of a mess it is, it could weeks to decipher." He glowered at He-Man as he added, "And we don't have weeks."

He-Man grasped his mentor's forearm in appreciation. "Thank you, Duncan," he said sincerely.

* * *

Once again entering his father's office after being summoned, He-Man was surprised when Randor closed and locked the door behind him. He had also drawn the drapes; the lights were on, but without the natural light it seemed very dark, almost oppressive, in the room.

"Your Majesty, is everything all right?" He-Man asked warily, scanning the room to see if anything was out of place. Perhaps they weren't alone.

"There's no danger," Randor assured him. "But I would like to talk to you—actually, to Adam." His brown eyes dark, he added, "Please."

He-Man chuckled ruefully as he drew his sword. If he kept this up, he might as well just walk around as the prince. "Let the power return," he called softly. "Okay, Father, what's going on?" Adam asked a minute later, one eyebrow raised.

Randor was leaning against the side of the desk. He drummed his fingers on it for a moment, staring blankly at a pile of paper. Then he met Adam's eyes, and his son was shocked to see the sadness and regret reflected there.

"I'm sorry," he said roughly. As he swallowed hard, Adam's mind raced with possibilities of what Randor could be apologizing for.

"Father, if this is about signing the arrest warrant," he began.

"No," Randor interrupted, shaking his head sadly. "Although I'm sorry for that as well. No, Adam, I'm sorry for all the years of pain I put you through, for being so hard on you because I thought you were being irresponsible and lazy, for constantly reprimanding you. But most of all I'm sorry that I thought so little of my own son, that I didn't have any faith in you as a person, even though I knew your heart was good. I'm sorry-"

"Dad," Adam interrupted, raising a hand to Randor's shoulder. "It's okay." Randor's eyes filled with tears. He didn't remember the last time Adam had called him "Dad." The familiar term was not used on Eternia, but Marlena had taught both it and "Daddy" to Adam. Randor never admitted it, but his heart had melted every time his son had used one of those more casual names.

"When did you stop calling me that?" Randor asked softly.

Adam shrugged, looking a bit surprised himself that the term had slipped out. "I guess when I realized the other kids all used 'Father.' I stopped using 'Dad' around them, then 'Father' started sneaking in around here, too."

"So it wasn't when I started being a jerk to you?" Randor asked, seeming to care very much about the answer.

"Father," Adam said a bit reproachfully, his eyes full of love, "you were never a jerk. You were a strict parent to a mischievous kid who needed it. And when I became He-Man…" Adam shrugged again. "You believed the act I put on to fool you."

"Fool me?" Randor repeated, his brow furrowed. "Don't you mean fool everyone?"

"No. You and Mother and Teela," Adam confessed, his voice heavy. He rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain of how his father would handle this truth. "I only had to fool the three of you. I knew if I could trick you three into believing I was a fun-loving coward, the rest of the kingdom would believe it easily, and no one would ever figure out I was He-Man."

"So you set out specifically to fool us," Randor echoed.

Adam nodded, meeting his father's stare and refusing to back down. "Yes. I'm sorry for deceiving you all."

Randor stroked his beard thoughtfully. "But you'd do it again, wouldn't you? You still think we're safer not knowing the truth, and you wouldn't change anything except the fact that we know."

To his surprise, Adam's gaze dropped guiltily. "Yes and no. I wish you didn't know because you would be safer that way, yet...well, I know it's selfish, but I'm not sure I'd change it," he said lowly, sounding disappointed in himself. "I never cared about what anyone else thought, but," his blue eyes met his father's brown again, "I always wanted you to be proud of me."

"I am," Randor said hoarsely, "but not because you're He-Man. I'm proud of you because now that you're not putting on an act, I know that you are a good, courageous, wise man, and I know that you will be a great king." He put both hands on Adam's shoulders and stared intently into his face. "And regardless of whether I was proud of you or not, I always loved you, son. You know that, don't you?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah," he said, his own voice rough. "I know, Dad. I love you too." Randor pulled his son to him and hugged him hard, wondering why he didn't do so more often.

A knock on the door sounded, and Randor motioned to Adam to move over in a shadowed corner where he would be less visible. Adam did so, blinking hard to clear the burning sensation in his eyes. He heard his father give a suspiciously strong sniff as he walked towards the door, and he shook his head, smirking at the two of them.

"Who is it?" Randor called.

"Sergeant Teranin, sir," called the guard. "Duke Sully is here and demands to an audience with the entire royal family, including Prince Adam."

Randor glanced over at Adam, who shrugged. Randor frowned, then opened the door. "What does he want?"

"He wouldn't say, sir. He just keeps insisting he needs to speak with all of you."

Randor pursed his lips as he gazed at the far wall for a few seconds. "Very well. Put him in the Treaty Room, and tell him we'll be along as soon as we can get Adam there."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Teela posted herself outside the door both to keep out unwanted visitors and to be nearby in case she was needed, but it was killing her to be left out of the conversation. Sully's eyes darted from face to face as the royal family walked in. He was drumming his fingers on the table nervously until he caught sight of Adam, then his face twisted into a mask of hatred. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep his mouth shut, and used his anger to overcome his anxiety. The entire family sat opposite of Sully, Adam to the king's right and Marlena and Adora to his left.

"Now, then, Duke Sully, what can we do for you?" Randor asked, careful to keep his tone neutral.

"I need your help," Sully ground out reluctantly, keeping his eyes on Randor. His fingers continued tapping on the table; underneath, his leg bounced up and down. "The Specter has Beau."

"What?" Adam exclaimed. His eyes suddenly felt heavy, and he blinked them hard.

"What happened?" Adora asked, rubbing at her face. Sully cast an annoyed glance in her direction and turned his attention back to the king.

Randor yawned broadly, blushing slightly. "I'm terribly sorry, Duke Sully, I-" His head fell forward onto the table, a snore emanating from his mouth.

"Randor," Marlena said sleepily, shaking him. Then she too fell asleep, collapsing onto his shoulder. Almost at the same time, Adam and Adora slumped over, Adam leaning on his father and Adora nearly falling out of her chair.

Sully breathed out lightly, trying to calm his racing heart. "Four down, two to go," he murmured. He hesitated a second, then called out, "Captain Teela! There's something wrong with the royal family!"

Teela charged in, her freeze ray drawn. "What's wrong with them?" she demanded.

"I don't know," Duke Sully answered sourly, disgust written on his face. "They all fell asleep in the middle of my conversation with them."

Adam was closest to her; Teela grasped his shoulder and shook him gently, then harder. "Adam! Adam, wake up!" She had the sudden urge to yawn. "There's something in here," she murmured. "Something's put them to sleep." She raised her arm to call for backup on her communicator, but Sully grasped her arm.

"Is there something I can do?" he asked, a mix of triumph and fear in his voice.

"Yes, I-" Teela collapsed into his arms, sound asleep.

Sully eased her down with more gentleness than Teela would have thought him capable of, had she been awake. He gazed at her for a moment, then at the royal family, feeling ill at what he was doing.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Then his gaze fell on Adam, and his face hardened. "Well, about most of this, anyway." He took a deep breath and brought out a levitation ray. He had to work quickly, before more guards arrived.


	25. Chapter 25: Evil's Hand

"Oh," Teela moaned softly as she started to wake up. Her arms hurt as if she had spent too time much training, or had stretched out in the grass and fallen asleep with them over her head. There was a fuzzy feeling in her brain, and when she opened her eyes, she couldn't make anything out. Before her loomed a dark blur spotted with a few scattered lighter blurs. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to figure out where she was. _What happened? Something's wrong. My arms. I can't seem to move them. _Slowly, she realized that her arms felt strained because they were spread out to either side of her, and were bearing her weight. Clumsily, she brought her feet under her and pushed up, relieving the pressure. A scraping sensation on her back made her aware that she was against rock. With a sinking heart, she slowly opened her eyes again and let out an involuntary scream at the sharp face only inches from her own.

The Specter smirked. "Why, it's lovely to see you again too, Captain Teela. Welcome back. It was so nice of you to bring the rest of the royal family this time."

Teela looked to her right to see Adora, Marlena, and Randor all awake and chained up as she was. Adora's jaw was clenched with frustration, her hair a tangled mess. The crowns were missing off of the king and queen; as a result Marlena's hair spilled to her shoulders, emphasizing her resemblance to Adora. Randor's eyes were hard, and a fine sheen of sweat covered him. Occasionally he would take a deep breath as if he were trying to steady himself. All of them were watching her carefully. Teela's heart stopped and her head whipped to the left, then wildly around.

"Where's Adam?" she demanded.

"My, my, my, you've lost the prince again," the Specter said, shaking his head in mock sadness. Teela's heart lurched in the hope that perhaps Adam had gotten away and was even now transforming to He-Man, until Rueben continued. "Not much of a bodyguard, are you, Captain Teela?" He made a disappointed clucking noise with his tongue as he paced slowly in front of them.

"Where is my son, Specter?" Randor asked, keeping his voice calm.

"Your son's presence was desired by another, but don't worry," their captor said, his voice smooth and delighted. "I've been assured that he will be thoroughly tortured before he dies, and we'll all get to watch."

"No, you can't!" Adora yelled, struggling against her chains. Rage flooded her, followed by helplessness.

"Oh, but I'm not," the Specter pointed out mildly. "In fact, I'm not even sure who is."

"You have me," Adora said, trying to bargain. "Let the rest of my family go. Please."

Her nemesis snorted. "I don't think so." A soft glow emanated from the far wall, and the Specter turned, a smile lighting his face. "Ah, it seems the show is about to begin."

The four of them watched, horrified, as a semi-conscious Adam was dragged into what looked to be another cave and chained to the wall in a manner similar to them, his arms spread out wide and his ankles loosely shackled. The group couldn't hear what was happening, only see the events. Adam's head rose for a few seconds, then fell to his chest again. The hooded figure calmly approached Adam, and then laid a hand on him.

Adam's head jerked up and his blood vessels stood out in stark relief at the pain that burned through him like a hot knife. An involuntary yell was ripped from his throat as the pain ended as suddenly as it had begun, leaving him heaving for breath.

"Excellent, you're awake," said the hooded figure.

Ice ran through his body in warning as Adam stared at the cloaked man before him. He had only felt the presence of such evil once before, when as He-Man he had briefly fought Evil itself. Just as had happened then, this one's presence was sounding alarms off in every part of his mind. Even Skeletor and Hordak hadn't been this evil.

"What are you?" Adam asked between breaths.

The assassin pulled back his hood to reveal the most non-descript man Adam had ever seen. He had eyes that were neither large nor small, an oval face, a nose that was neither sharp nor round but simply there, and hair that was somewhere between black and brown.

"Interesting that you ask not who I am, but what I am," the assassin said, tilting his head to one side, his dark eyes assessing Adam. "Very interesting. For the last few months, I have been a hired assassin to someone whose name I choose not to reveal right now. I am the one who has tried to kill you, and the one who successfully framed you for murder. And today I will break you."

Adam's heart alternated between leaping at the truth that he had been framed, and sinking back down at the threat. "You can have a go," he said flippantly, "but it never works. How about we just skip to the part where I get loose and kick your-"

"Oh, I don't think so, He-Man," the assassin hissed, interrupting the prince. Adam's eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of his sword tauntingly lodged in the rocks in front of him. "Yes, I know your little secret. I am forbidden to tell anyone, but that doesn't mean I can't act against you."

There was a slight change in the man's face, a slightly scaly appearance for a few seconds. With a flash of insight, Adam knew what he was dealing with. "You're a demon," he said flatly, "a servant of Evil."

"Yes," the assassin affirmed. "And of all the beings in this world, you are the only one who has been touched by Good itself, who could have revealed me for who I am." He grinned maliciously. "I might tell someone anyway, but for now, I decided it was best to separate you from your family." He walked across the cavern floor and picked up Adam's sword. "I thought I might use this on you for my own amusement. Give you a few cuts to remember me by. What do you think?"

The one thing Grayskull's magic wouldn't be able to heal him from. Adam kept his face carefully neutral as he replied. "You've spent all this time trying to kill me, and now you've decided to take your time about it and torture me first? Why?"

The demon put down the sword and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small knife. "If you had died, it would have saved me some trouble. Because you see, although I can arrange accidents, I am forbidden to kill you directly." A slow smile lifted his face. "However, I can make you beg for death. I can cause you so much pain that you pledge your life to my master in order to be released from it."

Adam lifted his chin, his eyes steely. "I don't think so."

The demon's smile grew cold as he stepped closer. "Let's try it, shall we?" He plunged the knife into Adam's left bicep. Adam's jaw clenched, but he didn't utter a sound. The assassin twisted the knife, watching in delight as Adam's nostrils flared. Then he pulled out the knife and laid a finger on the wound. It felt as if someone had poured acid onto the muscle. Adam's breathing grew ragged and he couldn't keep himself from looking at his arm. The angry wound bubbled with a yellow pus-like substance, every small round ball of air feeling as if it were piercing his flesh anew.

"That will continue to feel as if I am twisting the knife in your flesh," the demon said with a sneer. "It is far more painful than being beaten. But since we have an audience to entertain, I'm afraid I'll have to use a method that is a bit more brutal and obvious." With that, he picked up Adam's sword again. He swung the flat of the blade hard into Adam's side, forcing the air out of the prince. Adam ground his teeth against the sharp, blinding pain that accompanied the blow.

"There's one broken rib," the demon said in satisfaction. "You should have that looked at, you know." Before Adam could even think of a retort, his captor raised his hand. Adam moved his head as best he could, but still received a glancing blow to the cheekbone. The next blow landed directly on his nose and slammed his head back against the wall. Blood gushed down his face, staining Adam's shirt. Before he could recover from that one, the demon raised a hand with sharp, jagged nails, and scraped the side of Adam's neck. The burning overwhelmed the other pain, and Adam thrashed his head back and forth in a vain effort to get rid of what in his mind must surely be acid eating into his flesh.

"That should do it for now," the assassin said, stepping back and nodding his head. "Excuse me, my dear prince. I have others to attend to."

* * *

Lana and Hawk had looked like zombies when Duncan arrived, and after two hours of looking through Lee's records, Man-at-Arms could see why. They were a mess, but it was not the fault of the gardener.

"Someone's tampered with these," he said in disgust, throwing the papers onto the floor. His hand brushed another stack that fell to the floor as well. The office was small, with barely enough room for the three of them. His patience was already at an end, he realized as he stared out the large window, his fists on his hips.

"How can you tell?" Hawk asked, perplexed. He and Lana bent down to retrieve the papers.

Duncan jerked his chin towards the papers. "There are accounts that only exist in this set, the exact months we were trying to figure out. A few of the regular accounts are missing. Whoever it was tried to replace one name with another consistently for at least six months, hoping it wouldn't be noticed."

Hawk shook his head. "Sea froth and ice caps," he muttered. "Give me a sword and a ship any day over this muck."

"Duncan," Lana said shakily, standing slowly with a paper in her hand. She was staring at the record, a stricken look on her face. She raised her troubled eyes to Duncan's. "Sully's not the one behind all this."

Before Duncan question her, his communicator emitted an eerie sound, causing his face to turn white. That signal was to be used only in extreme emergencies, as a way to contact all the masters. He had developed it after Hordak had kidnapped the king, queen, Teela, and He-Man. "Man-at-Arms here," he said into his wrist.

"Man-at-Arms, this is Saul," said Teela's second-in-command. "Sir, the royal family and Captain Teela appear to be missing."

"What?" Hawk roared. Duncan waved at him to calm him down.

"What do you mean, 'appear to be missing?'" he asked tensely.

"Duke Sully came to visit several hours ago, shortly after you left. They went into a meeting with him, but no one has seen them since. We've checked the whole palace. And we can't raise Captain Teela on the communicator."

Duncan cursed under his breath before answering. "Gather up the masters. I'll return at once."

"That won't be necessary," said a familiar snide voice from the doorway.

"Sully!" Hawk hissed, rising to his feet and reaching for his cutlass. "What did you do with Adora and the others?"

Sully's frown reflected an inner tension as he held up a hand. "Please listen," he begged, his normally dour face lined with worry. "The Specter has Beau. He demanded I bring him the royal family, as well as Captain Teela and Sea Hawk, or he would kill my son."

"I think he's telling the truth," Lana said, handing the paper to Duncan. Man-at-Arms glanced down and his face went white.

"And you did it?" Hawk asked incredulously, his eyes telling Sully what a stupid move that had been. "Surely you know he'll kill Beau anyway."

"I suspected that," Sully admitted. "But I had to try. He's my son." For the first time since Hawk had met him, Sully's face seemed to show true emotion. Tears actually stood in the man's eyes. "I thought that if I gave him the family, he would be so preoccupied with them that I would have time to find you and figure out how to rescue them all."

"If they're not dead," Hawk ground out, slamming a fist on the desk. "Don't you realize he wants them all dead?"

Sully paled. "He-he didn't tell me why he wanted them, and I didn't ask," he admitted shakily. He raised a hand and rubbed at his head nervously. "What do we do? Can He-Man and She-Ra help us?"

Duncan and Lana exchanged glances. "I'm afraid we're not going to be able to reach them in time," Duncan hedged. "We need to come up with a plan."

* * *

Adora could feel a shadow of Adam's pain. _Adam! _she thought desperately. _Why is he doing this to you? Is it just to punish me? How can anyone be evil enough to stand here and watch this? _Her stomach twisted with every blow her brother received, and by the time the assassin appeared in front of her, the tears were streaming down her face unchecked. Nevertheless, she glared at the hooded figure, feeling hate stir in her heart.

Like Adora, Marlena's tears fell silently. Her chin held high, she refused to utter a sound. Teela, on the other hand, was spewing forth threats at Rueben and the demon as fast as she could think of them.

"When I get out of here I'm going to make sure you pay," she promised, her voice harsh and her face reddening. "You'll be locked up until your bones turn to dust!"

Randor alone had a dry face, and only because he was trying to be strong for his family, to give them strength by his example. It wasn't easy, though. Even knowing that Adam and He-Man were the same person, it was much harder to watch Adam being beaten now than it had been to watch He-Man be whipped in Hordak's fortress; perhaps it was because the king knew that He-Man's strength would buffer some of the pain, while Adam did not have that advantage. Randor was so upset his chest felt tight with the anxiety. He started panting slightly, feeling as if he wasn't getting enough air.

"What are you doing here?" the Specter asked suspiciously.

"I have something to discuss with the princess," the assassin said smoothly. The Specter had been leaning casually against the wall, but now he lunged forward, striding toward the demon.

"This was not part of the bargain," he growled. "Adora is mine."

"Oh, you'll like this," the assassin assured Rueben. The man glared at him for a moment before stepping back, watching him carefully. The demon paced back and forth in front of the royal family for a few minutes. On the screen they could see Adam still writhing, seeming to alternate between trying to escape the pain and attempting to get free.

"I bet you're wondering exactly what he's feeling," the demon whispered in Adora's ear. She jerked away, caught off-guard by his proximity because she had been so focused on her brother. "Let me show you." He laid a finger on her bare neck, and it felt as if someone were branding her skin with a hot iron.

"Ah!" Adora cried out. The demon smiled in satisfaction and stepped back. Adora forced herself to remain still and stare back at him, even though her neck was still burning with pain. "You're a monster," she spat at him.

"Not quite," the assassin said in amusement, his nondescript lips still pulled back in something resembling a smile. "No more than you."

A wash of anger, guilt, and indignation swept through Adora. "You know nothing of me," she said slowly and clearly, her voice hard.

The demon leaned forward so that his lips were right next to her ear. Adora shuddered involuntarily; his presence was making her skin feel as if a hundred night spiders were crawling all over her. "I know more than you think, She-Ra," he whispered.

Adora's throat tightened with fear and surprise. _By the First Ones, he knows who we are!_ The idea of what such a madman could do with that knowledge sent her into a panic, and she strained against her shackles.

He straightened up and walked over to Teela. "Hm. Friend of the princess and fiancée of the prince." He pulled out his small knife and showed it to Teela, the light gray stone handle gleaming in the glittering light. "What do you think of my weapon, Captain?"

"Let me loose and fight me, you coward, and I'll show you what you can do with that weapon," Teela challenged him, her face flushed with anger.

"I think not," he disagreed calmly. "It's a very good carving knife. Good for delicate work." He laid the blade against Teela's cheek lightly enough that it didn't cut her skin. She went perfectly still. "Let me show you." Without waiting for her response, he trailed the knife down her throat and tilted his head back and forth several times. Finally, he pressed the blade into her skin lightly. Teela gasped more in surprise than anything as she pushed her head back against the wall in a vain attempt to escape the blade. She could hear Randor, Marlena, and Adora yelling for him to stop. The assassin ignored them and increased the pressure slightly. A light trickle of blood began trailing down Teela's neck. Her eyes met his and she felt a chill in the center of her soul.

"Perfect," he said in satisfaction, drawing back. "A nice, slow bleed."

He strolled past Adora and stopped in front of Marlena, looking extremely pleased with himself. "So many victims, so little time," he mused aloud. "Specter, did you want to do this one?"

Rueben shook his head. "Oh no, you're doing a fine job," he assured the assassin lazily. He eyed Adora's distressed face, waiting for the rush of pleasure he expected to feel at any moment. _You deserve this, you murderer,_ he thought viciously.

Marlena raised her chin stubbornly and looked the assassin in the eye. She didn't speak one word as he once again tilted his head this way and that, examining her face and neck.

"Leave my mother alone!" Adora insisted, yanking again on her chains. Her wrists were already red with irritation from her constant pulling, but she didn't stop. _I have to get out of here. I have to save them! If only I could get my sword!_

The assassin only grinned, his teeth as common as the rest of him—not perfect, but no noticeable chips or missing teeth either. The color was somewhere between yellow and white. His grin twisted evilly as 

he drew back a fist and punched Marlena first in one eye, then twice in her stomach. Unprepared for the attack, Marlena promptly vomited.

"You'll pay for that, you vile villain!" Randor raged at him, his blood vessels popping out as his blood pressure went up even further and his face and neck began to redden.

The assassin stopped and smiled in surprise. "Why Randor, you'd better calm down. Your heart's about ready to give out. I think I'll just leave you alone. You'll die on your own soon enough." With that he was gone, and a quick glance at the white screen across the room showed him approaching Adam again, who had apparently recovered somewhat from the earlier attack.

* * *

Like Adora, Adam had yanked on the chains so many times and so violently that his wrists were already starting to chafe. Now, as the demon strolled towards him again, Adam held himself still. His left arm still throbbed with pain, the pus and blood dripping steadily on the ground. The scratches on his neck were no longer burning, but the sting was still sharp. Adam ignored it all as he stared at the demon.

"What have you done with my family?" he demanded. "If you've hurt them…"

"You're in no position to make threats," the demon laughed at him, his skin taking on that scaly appearance again for a few seconds. "Your future wife is slowly bleeding to death, and your mother is quite sick at the moment. Your father…I don't need to touch him. His heart will give out before the end of the day. And all I did to your sister was give her a small sample of the pain you're experiencing."

Adam jerked at his bonds again, enraged at the demon's words. "When I get loose, you're going to pay," he promised the demon in a dangerous tone.

"Am I?" the demon said, clearly amused at the idea. "Even if you could get free, Champion, we all know you're much too virtuous to stoop to something as insipid as revenge." His dark eyes suddenly glowed red.

Adam felt convicted by the words. They rang in his ears for a moment, and with sudden clarity, he saw what the demon was after. "That's what you want," he said slowly, surprised at the revelation. "You want to push me to the point that I use my power for evil."

The demon made no reply, but reached out and put his hand over Adam's chest. Immediately, electricity seemed to pulsate throughout his body with every beat of his heart. The pain was so intense Adam could almost feel all the cells of his body vibrating against each other. His blood vessels felt as though they were about to burst. He ground his teeth, but a loud, harsh groan escaped him anyway. As the pain increased, he couldn't hold it together any longer. He screamed, writhing as much as the chains would allow as he struggled to escape the pain. He had no idea how long it lasted, but by the time the demon let go, Adam was trembling. His throat was raw from screaming, and his face was wet with what he suspected were tears, but could have been sweat.

"I will break you, Champion," the demon said mildly, his hands now at his side.

"Your master will never have me," Adam said hoarsely, though he was barely able to hold his head up.

The demon leaned in closely. "Who said he was after you?"

The words brought an icy hand of fear to Adam's heart, along with a startling comprehension. _**Adora.**_

"Ah, I see you now understand," the demon said with an evil smile. He drew back his hand and threw a punch that landed on Adam's eye, splitting the skin near his eyebrow and causing another trickle of blood to start down his face. The assassin stood back and examined Adam, tilting his head back and forth as he considered his handiwork. Then he took the Power Sword and unceremoniously slashed at Adam's chest, causing a shallow chest wound. Adam cried aloud as the steel sliced through his flesh.

"Much better. I have to go work on your sister some more now, Adam," the demon said with a twisted smile. "I'll leave you here to suffer in peace for a few moments."

* * *

The women were openly sobbing now, and Randor screamed at the Specter. "Stop this at once! What kind of monster are you?"

"I'm not doing anything," he protested mildly. Teela's averted head snapped back around at his words.

"You're allowing him to do this!" she snapped. "You claim to hate Adora for the evil deeds she committed, yet she was under the Horde's spell. You're not under a spell Rueben! Your self-centered desire for revenge has twisted you into the very evil you say you despise!" The Specter covered his ears, trying to block out her words, and sank to the floor, whispering to himself under his breath.

"Now now now, let's not confuse the poor man," the demon said as he ambled into the cavern. He patted Rueben on the head. "Come on, now, Rueben, it's okay." He threw a mock-glare in Teela's direction. "Rueben's not quite right, you know. It's not nice to torment him with thoughts of your version of good. He's much happier believing that his view is correct, and that he is the servant of good, aren't you, Rueben?"

The Specter looked at the demon blankly for a moment, then seemed to come back to his senses. He stood and glanced at the royal family. "Can I kill them yet?"

"No, I still need them," the demon replied matter-of-factly. "Are you enjoying the show?"

The Specter grinned mirthlessly. "Adora has been most entertaining." Indeed, he hadn't taken his eyes off of her, and his gaze returned to her now. Tears were streaming down Adora's blotchy face.

The demon walked over to Adora and studied her for a moment. "Are you ready for this to end?"

"And how do you propose it ends?" she asked angrily. "Somehow I doubt that you're going to let us just walk out of here."

"No, that wouldn't work at all," the demon agreed. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear so that only she could hear. "But you can end it, Adora. All you have to do is pledge yourself to my master, serve him without question, and I will heal everyone in your family and let them go."

Hope and a sense of foreboding warred within Adora's heart. Her brother's face, screaming in silent, agonizing pain, was emblazoned on her memory, and over the demon's shoulder, she could see his bleeding, exhausted body in the magical screen across the cavern, his head dropped down. She ached for him.

"Who is this master?" she asked suspiciously. She watched as Adam raised his head, looked around, and seemed to panic. He yanked hard at his chains, glancing at his right wrist in mild surprise.

The demon caught her gaze and looked over at the screen. "Hm, that brother of yours is a bit more resilient than I realized," he said. He glanced at Randor, who was staring at him with undisguised hatred. "You know, my dear, my offer is for a limited time only. Your father's heart grows weaker by the minute." He dropped his voice again. "Just say the word, Adora, and I can stop it all. You can save your whole family."

Before she could react any more, he was standing before Teela. "Such a pretty thing," he commented casually as he thrust the knife into her wrist, causing her to cry out. "I'm afraid you're dying a bit too slowly, Captain. I need you to hurry along." He watched almost hungrily as a slow, steady stream of blood poured down her wrist.

"No!" Adora shouted, her chains rattling as she twisted and pulled against them. "Stop!"

The demon turned to her expectantly. "Do you have something to say, Princess?"

Adora's breath grew heavy as she wrestled with the choice. Perhaps she could pretend to go along with it and buy herself time to figure a way out of the situation, or for Duncan and Hawk and others to find them. But something held her back.

"Let them go, please," she finally begged. "Do what you want with me. But let them go."

"Wrong answer," the demon sneered. He disappeared and reappeared between Marlena and Randor, touching their shoulders. The two of them screamed and writhed in pain for what seemed like an eternity.

"Stop, please stop," Adora sobbed, pulling so hard that she lost her balance. The chains caught her and she used them as leverage to pull herself back up. "Please stop."

"I've only just started," the demon retorted, then he was gone. Randor and Marlena gasped for breath.

"Adam," Marlena sobbed quietly, horrified at the pain this demon was causing. "My baby."

For the first time since the assassin had knifed Adam in the arm, Reuben glanced at the magical screen and was startled at the sight of the prince, whose face and chest were covered in blood. The king and queen's screams still echoed in the Specter's ears, and for some reason, the pleasure he had expected to get from Adora's emotional pain had not materialized. It was one thing to allow his own creatures to kill Adora's family and friends…their paralyzing poison was almost painless, except for the initial scratch. But this brutality…he had witnessed it only within the Horde, and now it was turning his stomach.

_What have I become?_

A commotion in one of the tunnels caused the Specter to bring himself to his full height and turn. Two of his guards led Sully and Hawk in.

"Hawk!" Adora cried.

"Adora!" he called back, his eyes sweeping those there. "Where's Adam?"

"He's there," the Specter replied casually, waving an arm in the direction of the magical screen without looking at it. He smiled tightly. "Well done, Sully."

"I've done as you asked," Sully said, looking nauseated as he glanced at the prisoners. Randor looked like a sick old man. Marlena had bruises on her face, which was also blotchy from crying. The front of her robe was stained. Sully nearly gasped as he caught sight of Teela, her skin deathly pale and blood seeming to cover half of her tunic. He looked towards the viewscreen at the beaten prince and felt so much guilt well up that he wanted to die. He turned his head to look at the Specter. "Now release my boy."

The Specter put a finger to his lips. "Ummm…I think not," he said, and with a wave of his hand, Hawk and Sully were both enclosed in a forcefield. "Bring Beau up here," Rueben told the guards. "He can enjoy the show with everyone else." But even as he said the words, guilt began to seep into his heart.

* * *

"Unfortunately for you, your sister is extremely stubborn," the demon told Adam when he returned.

"Unfortunately for you, devotion to serving good runs in the family," Adam retorted, wishing his voice sounded stronger. "You'll never get her to serve your master."

"Oh, I beg to differ," the demon said casually. "Evil runs in your family too, my dear prince. And besides, Adora couldn't stand to have your deaths on her conscience, you see. After all that she was responsible for as a Horde officer, she couldn't live with herself if she stood by and allowed those she loved to die when she could stop it. Even if that means serving Evil to do so. You should understand that. You made the same choice, didn't you?"

Adam realized the monster was talking about when He-Man had been enslaved to Hordak while the king and queen were held hostage. "That was different," he hissed. "I didn't do anything to harm people. I still drew the line at killing. Somehow I doubt your master would allow Adora that little freedom."

"Ah, but Adora doesn't know who my master is," the demon pointed out, his voice dripping with triumph. "She will give in, if only to save you." He grinned nastily, his teeth looking pointed in the odd cavern light. "So now we're going to step it up a notch." He snapped his fingers and leaned in close to Adam's ear. The evil Adam sensed made his stomach churn wildly. "Now they'll hear your every cry," the demon whispered.

Before he fully understood what the demon had said, the monster's hand was on Adam's shoulder, causing the excruciating pain to wrack his body once more. A scream was torn from Adam's throat; he couldn't possibly hold it in. Time lost all meaning as the pain consumed every part of Adam's mind, making coherent thought impossible. When at last it ended, he was incapable of even thinking to call out a warning to Adora. His mind felt empty of everything except the echoes of his own screams and the aftershocks of the pain he had endured. His ragged breathing was the only sound in the cavern.

"Are you ready to give yourself to me, Champion?" the demon whispered, his lips next to Adam's ear. "This is your last chance."

"Never," Adam whispered back breathily, unable to answer more firmly. His body was as weak as if he were running an abnormally high fever; it burned and ached and trembled all at once. The demon was right about one thing: he did desperately want it to end. _Help me,_ he prayed, barely aware that he was doing so.

"I figured you'd say that," the demon said in mock sadness. "I'll be back, Champion."

* * *

Adam's screams had burned themselves onto Adora's mind. She had never felt as desolate as she did now, watching her brother suffer immeasurable pain. _This is my fault. I could stop it,_ she thought. She shook her head firmly. _No. That evil villain is doing this. I can't let him convince me it's my fault. _

It was unnerving to Adora, the way the assassin would disappear from the screen and reappear in front of her as he did now. _What is he? He's no ordinary man. No one could be that evil._

"Have you changed your mind, Princess?" he asked her quietly, so only she could hear. Adora couldn't help but look over to Rueben, but rather than staring at her, his gaze was now locked on the magical screen as he rocked back and forth.

The demon sighed dramatically. "So you still need more convincing, do you?" he asked in a bored tone. "Very well. Your brother's time is almost at an end. I certainly hope you change your mind before he dies."

"Don't you touch him," Adora hissed at him angrily.

"Oh, I'm not going to kill him," the demon protested mildly, gesturing towards the screen where another figure appeared. "He is."

* * *

_A/N: I know, I know...you're all thinking, "Another cliffhanger?!" I can't help it. This one's already longer than most of my chapters. And besides, I read too much Nancy Drew growing up, and most of the chapters ended that way...that's why I could never put a book down... Anyway, you know I won't keep you in suspense for long if I can help it. :-)_


	26. Chapter 26: Ultimate Betrayal

Duncan cursed. He and Lana had lost the two guards escorting Hawk and Sully into the caverns. Now it appeared they were completely lost. The cavern they were in now didn't even look like it was used.

"I can't believe it, but I wish Orko were here," he muttered tensely.

"It will be all right, Duncan," Lana assured him calmly. "We will find them." Her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed. _No matter what._

* * *

Every breath hurt, and the strain on his arms was incredibly painful, but Adam couldn't seem to move his legs in a position that would support his weight. He gritted his teeth, then with a huge effort finally drew his legs under him and shifted his weight to lean heavily against the wall. He panted with the effort and glanced around the empty cavern. He closed his eyes briefly. _Please help us. Save my family._

"Well, if it isn't my favorite prince," a cheerful voice boomed across the cavern.

Adam's eyes popped open in disbelief. "Hutch?" he croaked weakly. _Thank the Ancients!_

The baron grinned broadly. "I must say, Adam, you look like you've seen better days."

"Hutch, the Specter has my family. Get me out of here, we've got to help them," Adam urged his friend. The hope quickly changed into a sick cramp in the pit of his stomach as Hutch ignored him and instead wandered around the cave, looking around with interest._ It can't be. It just can't be. Not Hutch._

"Nice set-up," he commented. "A bit rustic for my taste, but functional, don't you think?"

"Hutch?" Adam forced his voice to be steady, if weak. _Hutch has been a friend for years. It's just not possible. _"What's going on, _buddy_?" There was a slight note of sarcasm on the last word. Hutch picked up on it immediately.

"Oh," the baron said in great sadness, his hazel eyes reflecting a false hurt. "You figured me out, didn't you?" His words confirmed Adam's worst fear.

"Why?" the prince asked, the sense of betrayal piercing his heart with more pain than anything the demon had done. "I thought we were friends. I trusted you."

"I've been trying to get you and your bloody family out of my way for the last five years," Hutch admitted cheerfully, pausing by Adam's sword. He picked it up and swung it around a few times, testing its weight.

"By the Ancients," Adam breathed. "You hired that demon to kill me? To kill my family?"

"Yup," Hutch agreed without hesitation, mistaking Adam's terminology for an attempted insult. "How else could I become king?"

Adam's fatigued legs gave out again. "But there are at least a dozen people in line for the throne ahead of you," he whispered, his vision swimming slightly.

"Nope. Just five," Hutch said cheerily. "I've bought out or killed everyone else."

"That man you hired-," Adam said, still believing his friend had been deceived somehow. He broke off, trying to catch his breath.

"Damien," Hutch supplied.

"Damien," Adam repeated. "He's a demon, Hutch. He's a servant of Evil. You didn't make a bargain with him, did you? Did you promise to serve him in return for power?"

Hutch's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "No, I was simply paying him for a service. A demon, you say? That does raise an interesting question. I wonder how much power he could give me."

"Don't do it," Adam warned him. "You'll lose your soul, Hutch. You'll go to Blazes and be tormented forever."

Hutch made a clucking noise with his tongue. "Such concern for me, Adam, after all I've done to you? You're a wanted criminal now, you know."

Something clicked in Adam's exhausted mind. "Amanda," he breathed weakly. "I didn't kill her. You did, didn't you? Why?"

"I did no such thing," Hutch protested, clearly offended. "Damien did. Such a shame. She was so beautiful." His tone grew wistful. "And we made magic together." He grew deliberately cheerful again. "But I had no interest in a manipulative wife like her. So this killed two birds with one stone, if you'll pardon the crude expression. It got rid of her and smeared your reputation beyond repair." Hutch drew a finger along the blade of the Power Sword and looked from it to Adam and back again.

"You had him kill your lover and your own child?" Adam demanded, sick at the thought.

"Who knows if it was mine?" Hutch asked rhetorically. "Amanda slept with anyone she could."

"How?" Adam asked, forcing his legs under him again. "How did you set me up?"

"I don't know the particulars," Hutch said in an exasperated voice. "I paid Damien to do a job for me and he did it. I don't want to know how."

The shock of betrayal still hadn't left Adam's hazy mind when he registered that Hutch was approaching him with the sword. "What are you doing?" he asked warily.

"Finishing what Damien was supposed to do," Hutch said with a bright smile. "See, down here, we can blame it on the Specter. No one will ever question it. I can even get rid of Sully and Beau. As far as anyone else will know, you were all killed by the Specter. Everyone knows we're friends, Adam. No one will question what I tell them."

"And what does the Specter get from this deal?" Adam challenged.

"Immunity when I'm king," Hutch smiled grimly. "A one-way ticket to anywhere he wants to go. And he gets his wish to see Adora suffer forever. I'll marry her, you see. I lied and told Amanda that once I was king, I'd have Adora killed, and then marry her, and the hussy believed me. But instead, we'll keep Adora under a spell, control her mind, and she'll be miserably married for the rest of her life, while I rule the kingdom and have any woman I want on the side."

Adam jerked on his chains again, the sharp edges cutting into his wrists. "You can't do that!"

Hutch shrugged. "Marrying Adora is one way to ensure I'm king and not someone else. Of course, I'll have to take care of that pirate, too, but Damien assures me the Specter will be happy to do that."

He raised the sword, and Adam caught his eye. "Are you really going to kill me, Hutch?" he asked quietly. "Is power really more important to you than our friendship?"

Hutch lowered the sword briefly and acted as if he was considering Adam's words. "Hmmm," he said, stroking his shaggy red beard. "Yes." At the hurt in Adam's eyes, Hutch grinned. "Nothing personal, Adam, but you saw the way I live. Myrna is a run-down province with no future."

"We would have helped you!" Adam said, yanking on his chains again as his strength started to return.

Hutch shrugged. "Too late. Besides, why live in a castle when I can live in a palace?" He raised the sword again.

* * *

Adora felt frozen in place as she listened to Hutch's plans for her. Then she watched as he toyed with the sword and disclosed some of his other plans. It all happened in slow motion, and the demon leaned in close.

"Last chance to save your brother, princess," he whispered. Adora's heart filled with panic. "Your father's heart is starting to fade as well—see how tired he suddenly looks?" It was true, she realized as she glanced over. Randor's face was a ghastly gray color, and even from here she could see the sheen of fine sweat all over his face and neck. "And don't forget your best friend; she's not looking very healthy either." Adora cast her gaze on Teela and found that her friend was deathly white; though whether it was from the horror of what they were watching or the loss of blood that caused it, Adora couldn't tell.

"You can end their pain," the demon continued in a whisper. "You can save their lives. Isn't that what you are sworn to do, as She-Ra? Protect the innocent? Isn't that what He-Man did when he served Hordak? He did it to save the lives of some of these same people. Choose quickly, Adora. Your brother is about to die. Pledge yourself to my master, and I will save them all."

Indecision held Adora fast as Hutch raised the blade. She could hear her own heart beating. _My heart. Love. Good._ Unexpectedly, He-Man's voice echoed in her mind. _You never became evil. You may have been forced to serve evil, but you never let it take your heart._ And again…_It's not a matter of being worthy, Adora. It's a matter of being chosen, accepting the responsibility, and doing the best you can. It's choosing Good no matter what the consequence._

_Choosing Good no matter what the consequence._

The phrase echoed in her mind as the sword hovered in the air for several heartbeats. From Adam's words to Hutch, Adora knew the demon's master was Evil. She knew that pledging herself to serve him, no matter what the reason, was wrong. She sensed she would no longer have free will, and the destruction he could force her to cause would surpass anything her family was now going through. Large tears rolled slowly down her face as she prayed silently to Good for the first time, _If you're really there like Adam says, save him. I can't do it. You're the only one who can. Please save him._

She raised her chin and looked the demon in the eye as she answered him, her voice breaking, but her resoluteness clear. "My answer is no. I will not serve Evil. No matter what."

The demon's face twisted into a wicked sneer, and his skin looked scale-like for a moment. "Then I hope you enjoy watching your brother die."

* * *

The sword whistled through the air, and Adam couldn't help but feel as if it were a nightmare. The idea that Hutch, a lifelong friend, was trying to kill him, was unreal. Desperately, Adam yanked hard on the right chain, and with a snap that resounded throughout the cave, it broke free from the wall. Adam's momentum caused the shackle around his wrist to strike against the sword, diverting it away from his chest. The sword wedged harmlessly into the rock at Adam's side. Hutch stumbled forward a step, his hand still on the hilt.

"Well that's bothersome," he muttered. Adam recovered from his surprise and tried to bring his elbow back into Hutch's throat or solar plexus, but the baron avoided the weakened prince's jab easily.

_Only one chance,_ Adam realized reluctantly.

"You can't hold me off forever, Adam," Hutch said with a malicious grin as he tugged at the sword, trying to free it from the rock.

"I don't have to," Adam retorted, breathing heavily as he wrapped his hand around the sword. "By the Power of Grayskull!"

The sword's power was intended for Adam alone; the sudden charge threw Hutch free of the sword and he landed across the cavern, hitting his head hard against the stone wall. He slipped down and lay still as Adam completed the transformation.

"I have the power!" Immediately after becoming He-Man, he went to Hutch's side and knelt down. He felt carefully for a pulse, his head falling forward in relief when he found one.

_Thank the Ancients—thank Goodness._

He-Man rose to his feet and glanced around the empty cavern, ignoring how his harness was chafing at the open wound still on his chest. "Damien!" he shouted, his hand tightening on his sword. "Show yourself!"

The wall in front of him disintegrated, revealing his family. He-Man's stomach twisted at the sight of them—his father's drawn, gray face, his mother's bruised one, Adora's look of ecstatic relief, and Teela deathly pale, her head now tipped to one side. There was a slow, deliberate clapping and He-Man turned to see the demon slowly approaching.

"That was most entertaining, Champion," he said with a smirk. "Are you really going to kill me Hutch?" he whined in a sarcastic imitation. "So what's the next move, He-Man? I have your entire family. Your fiancée and your father are near death. And you just revealed your secret to your enemies."

"The only enemy here is you," He-Man hissed, tossing his sword from hand to hand. "You used the Specter and Hutch for your own evil purposes."

Damien shrugged. "Well, we all have our jobs, you know. Mine is to get souls for my master. And he really wanted your sister." He sighed dramatically. "But she turned me down, just as you said she would." He glared at He-Man. "So again I ask, what next?"

"Let them go," He-Man ordered.

"Fight me for them," Damien suggested nastily, his clothes disappearing and his body becoming covered in red scales. A tail grew out of his back, with a sharp spike at the end, and his nails grew three inches. "Fight me, Champion," he intoned, his voice a mixture of gravel and echoes, pure evil.

He-Man twirled his sword as the two of them circled each other, then sheathed it, opting for fair play since Damien had no weapon. "Love to," He-Man said, his eyes narrowing. "There's nothing like defeating a servant of Evil to make my day."

Duncan and Lana heard the voices ahead, and they hurried to the source. Inside the shimmering cavern, they found He-Man and a red, scaly creature circling each other warily.

"Ah, new guests," the demon said, catching sight of them. "Specter, take care of them." Damien didn't watch to see what Rueben did, but continued to circle He-Man.

"Don't do it, Rueben," He-Man called, not taking his eyes off of the demon in front of him. "He's been telling you lies. I bet he's been promising you peace and power once you've had your revenge. There is no peace with revenge. Once you've headed down that road, you'll regret it. This demon will take you further and further until you're lost in evil itself, with no way out. Your only hope is to choose to serve Good, rather than Evil. Choose love, instead of hatred."

"It's too late for him," Damien sneered. "His mind is already twisted with evil. He's already mine."

"You're wrong," He-Man contended, a slow smirk growing on his face. "If he were already yours, he wouldn't have hesitated to obey you." Without further warning, he dove at Damien, trying to keep the demon's attention off of the Specter. The two of them wrestled on the ground, Damien clearly trying to scratch He-Man. The hero grunted as he rolled onto his back and threw Damien off of him. The demon was stronger than he had bargained for.

Lana and Duncan remained still, waiting for Rueben to decide his course of action. The Specter seemed frozen in place, watching the battle in front of him for a few seconds. Then his eyes, so cold and hard earlier, turned to Adora, and he felt tears well up as he heard her broken voice again in his mind.

"_My answer is no. I will not serve evil. No matter what."_

Rueben may have been confused, perhaps even driven insane by the evil he had allowed in his life, but he was no fool. He knew from experience how the demon could twist things and put pressure on a person. He knew, therefore, that the times when Damien had appeared to be simply standing before Adora, he had been whispering to her, tempting her. And while he, Rueben, had listened to Damien with a willing heart bent by hatred, Adora had stood firm.

Tears began to fall as he remembered his mother for the first time in months. With her long black shiny hair and amber brown eyes, she had looked nothing like Adora. But she had had that iron core of goodness inside of her. It was what led to his parents being taken to the slave mines. His mother was the spy that no one in the town would give up. He had not known that then, but he found out later shortly before Adora joined the rebellion. The fact that his mother had given her life and his father's for the rebellion and still they allowed Adora, the former force captain, into their midst…it was what had fueled his hatred and twisted his own heart until he could no longer enter Whispering Woods.

Rueben met Duncan's gaze, then Lana's, uncertain of his path.

"It is all right, Rueben," Lana assured him softly, her wise eyes comforting him. "There will be trials ahead, but all will be forgiven."

Without a word, Rueben whirled around, his cape flaring about him, and strode toward Adora's sword. Damien's eyes glowed red as the Specter picked up the sword.

"Kill He-Man," Damien ordered crossly. "Kill Adora's brother, and you will have your revenge."

"No," Rueben said, and it was as if the one word cost him something yet set him free at the same time. His eyes lost that insane, conflicted look. He turned, took two steps, and swung the sword at Adora's chain.

"No!" Damien shouted angrily as the chain broke and Rueben handed the princess her sword. Adora took it hesitantly, disbelief all over her face.

"You're not what I thought you were," the Specter said soberly, his hand shaking slightly. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," she said, her sincere blue eyes boring into his and tears welling up with the force of her emotions.

"I…I know." Rueben ducked his head, ashamed of himself, and stepped away. "You have work to do."

"That I do," she agreed, blinking hard to clear her eyes. She held aloft her sword. "For the honor of Grayskull!"

"No, no, no!" Damien screeched, stepping towards them. He-Man captured Damien from behind, pinning the demon's arms to his side.

"I think we've heard just about enough out of you," he admonished Damien.

"I don't agree," the demon hissed. His tail wrapped around He-Man's leg and forced the champion's knee to buckle. The two of them went down, causing He-Man's arms to loosen enough for the demon to break free.

She-Ra started forward to help her brother, but Lana's hand held her back. "She-Ra, you must save Randor and Teela," she said urgently, her green eyes swimming with tears. "They won't last much longer."

Realizing she was right, She-Ra ran to Teela, who was already unconscious from the loss of blood, and began the slow healing process. Meanwhile, Damien slashed at He-Man. The hero dodged this way and that, but the demon finally managed to catch He-Man on the shoulder. The burning pain caused He-Man to hiss in anger, and his fist promptly met Damien's chin, knocking the demon back a few steps.

"Enough," Damien panted as they faced each other again. "This is pointless. I am forbidden to kill you, and we both know you won't kill me."

"But I can kill him," rasped a voice from behind He-Man. The hero turned to see Hutch standing there, blood trickling down the side of his face. The baron had been standing there long enough to hear some of the discussion and see Adora transform, and it didn't take him any time at all to figure out that He-Man was Adam. "Give me the power to defeat He-Man and She-Ra and claim the throne, and I pledge myself to you in return."

"Hutch, no!" He-Man cried out.

"Done!" the demon crowed triumphantly. His hands shone with a red light, and a glow the same color encompassed Hutch. He-Man watched helplessly, resisting the urge to tackle one of them or try to block the exchange somehow. Hutch had made his choice, and to Adam's great sorrow, his one-time friend had chosen Evil.

* * *

She-Ra removed her hands from Teela, shaking from the knowledge she had gained during the healing process. "Duncan, we've got to get her back to the palace," she called even as she rushed to her father's side. He had slipped down to the floor, sweating profusely. His eyes were starting to look glazed. Marlena was already there, holding his hand and fighting to get her tears under control as she looked from Adam to Randor, and back again.

"What is it?" Duncan demanded, running to his daughter with Lana at his side.

"She's lost too much blood. I can't heal that!" She-Ra's voice was nearly frantic, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. She had to focus. Her father needed her. She glanced over to where He-Man was backing away from Hutch, shaking his head as he did so. Her brother needed her too. She closed her eyes and focused on her father.

* * *

Hutch didn't look any different as he stepped menacingly towards He-Man.

"Hutch, don't do this," He-Man begged him, backing up a step.

"Don't you dare try to lecture me," Hutch hissed, his ever-present smile in place but clearly false at the moment. "You've deceived the entire kingdom for years, _Prince Adam_. To think that I framed you for a crime, when you've been lying to the nobility all this time. How do you think they're going to take that when they find out?"

"Better than you, I hope," He-Man muttered. Hawk stepped up to He-Man's side, and the hero tossed him a grateful look. "Hutch, give this up. No matter what Damien's told you or what power he's given you, you won't win. Evil can't win."

"How droll," Hutch said with an evil snicker as he advanced further. "I can't lose, He-Man. Damien's master will give me whatever power I need to defeat you."

"And Good will give me whatever power I need to make sure that doesn't happen," He-Man retorted, stepping away and shaking his head. "I don't want to fight you, Hutch. Stop this before one of us gets hurt." Hawk narrowed his eyes, realizing that Damien was missing.

"That would be you," Damien said wickedly, suddenly appearing beside He-Man and raking his nails down the hero's back. The sensation of burning acid eating at his flesh gripped He-Man again and the hero cursed himself mentally for being so focused on Hutch that he had lost track of Damien. He had foolishly thought the demon had removed himself from the fight.

Hawk whirled and brought his cutlass down at the same time, catching Damien in the arm. The demon hissed in surprise. "You'll pay for that, pirate," he growled.

"Put it on my tab," Hawk retorted.

Hutch let loose raw power from his hands, a blinding white ball that hurtled through the air at He-Man and Hawk. Eternia's champion raised his sword quickly and blocked it, the round shape bouncing harmlessly from his sword and towards the cavern roof.

"Ancients, no," He-Man whispered as he watched the ball collide with the rock above. There was a thunderous roar, and sections of the ceiling began caving in.

"Duncan, Rueben, get everyone out of here!" She-Ra called as she gently helped her father to his feet. The Specter nodded quickly and finished freeing Beau, who had been the only one still chained. Marlena took Randor's arm as Duncan hefted Teela into his arms. The small group ran out a side tunnel. Lana hesitated, but found she couldn't completely trust the Specter's sudden change of heart. She followed them out, mentally wishing luck to her friends in the cavern behind.

She-Ra noted with surprise that Beau and Sully remained behind and stood alongside He-Man and Hawk. She joined them as well, amidst the falling rock, and drew her sword, calling, "Sword to shield!" As usual, the sword seemed to know how large of a shield she meant, and in a minute, the five of them were relatively safe beneath it. The rocks bounced harmlessly off of the shield, the sound gradually slowing as the cave stabilized.

"Fools! I'll kill you all!" Hutch laughed. She-Ra wondered how she could have ever thought of him as a big shaggy bear. He looked insane now as he raised his hands again, his rough wiry red hair sticking out all over the place.

Hutch was gathering more power about him this time; He-Man could see it in the way the shimmering crystals of the cavern were dimming. _I can't risk deflecting it again and bringing the entire mountain down on us,_ he thought, even as he tossed his sword from hand to hand in anticipation. He knew what he had to do; he just hoped it worked.

She-Ra transformed her shield back into a sword just as Hutch released his power at them. "He-Man!" she cried, fearful that the blast would destroy them all.

"I know!" he grunted as he met the magic with his sword. This time, however, he concentrated on the sword and used its power to absorb Hutch's magic. It was a risky move; it left him open to an attack from Damien. He had to trust his comrades to cover him, but he had no worries about that.

"No!" Damien screeched, launching himself at He-Man once more. He was met with Hawk's thunder punch right in the jaw. Damien was thrown back several feet, slightly stunned.

"Nice, Hawk," She-Ra commented with a smile. Her grin faded as she noticed He-Man sweating and a red glow emanating from him. He was still locked in a magical combat of some kind with Hutch. She didn't completely understand what was going on, but suddenly Hutch collapsed. He-Man didn't move, but kept his sword held out, panting heavily.

"Argh!" Damien screamed in frustration. He stalked over to Hutch and grabbed him by the hair. "You may have won this round, hero, but we'll be back."

"Like I told your master, demon, I'll be waiting," He-Man retorted steadily. Hutch and Damien disappeared in a flash of flame.

"Beau, can you lead me to the nearest exit?" He-Man asked, his voice heavy. A noticeable red aura now surrounded him.

"Sure, Adam—I mean, He-Man," Beau answered nervously, glancing at Sully. The duke frowned, clearly not understanding why his son would know his way around the caverns.

"Brother, what's wrong?" She-Ra asked He-Man, reaching a hand out.

He-Man jerked back. "Don't touch me!" he warned. "Hutch's magic was pure evil. It's like a poison. I've got to get rid of it." He took a few deep breaths. "Lead the way, Beau."

A burning sensation gripped He-Man; it took almost all of his concentration just to follow Beau. It was worst in his chest wound and the scratches on his back, as if it magnified physical ailments. He wasn't even aware that She-Ra, Hawk, and Sully were right behind him.

_With this power, you could change everything,_ an unknown voice taunted him. _You could rid Eternia of all evil, cure illnesses, stop suffering. Just use it, He-Man. Use it once and you'll see what it can do. Nothing will stand in your way. You will be able to protect those you love with this power. Don't get rid of it. Accept it, use it. Be one with it. You'll be able to heal people who are terminally ill. Even She-Ra can't do that._

_If I use it to protect those I love, and to heal the sick, is that wrong? _He-Man wondered. He shook his head hard to get rid of the thought, stumbling as he did so.

She-Ra watched her brother as he held out a hand and steadied himself against the wall. The red aura seemed to be intensifying. Her stomach twisted as she wondered what effect the magic was having on him. Somehow she didn't think it was a physical attack, even though he was still sweating.

"How much further, Beau?" she called. He-Man jerked to the side, startled by her voice.

"We're almost there," the young man answered over his shoulder.

"He-Man, is there anything I can do to help you?" She-Ra asked more quietly.

Her brother shook his head. "No," he answered hoarsely. "Just need to get rid of it."

They walked on. Eventually cool air blew against their faces, and a minute later they were outside on the ledge the group had entered only days before, the waterfall roaring in their ears, although it was unseen in the darkness. He-Man pointed his sword to the night sky, his arm unsteady.

_Don't do it, He-Man,_ whispered the voice. _Use this power to do good. As long as you use it to do good, it's okay. _

He-Man ground his teeth together for a few seconds.

"He-Man!" She-Ra prompted him. "What are you waiting for?"

_If you had had this power when the rocks fell on the little boy at Rock Haven, Keegan, you could have saved him. Don't you want to save the innocent? Aren't you sworn to protect them?_

He-Man's arm went from slightly unsteady to trembling violently. His sword began to drop down slowly. _What do I do? _Then his conversation with Good echoed in his mind.

"_How will I know it's You?"_

_You will know._

He did know. This power wasn't of good, it was evil. Pure evil. This voice was trying to trick him. His arm steadied as He-Man raised his sword again and cried out, "By the power of Grayskull!"

The evil magic was released towards the stars, and Grayskull's magic replaced it, healing the scratches on his back in a rush of tingling warmth. It left him rejuvenated, although the cut on his chest remained. Feeling as if he had been washed clean, He-Man stared up at the sky for a moment, still breathing hard, but thankful he and the others had escaped the demon's many traps that day.

_There will be more._

He-Man mentally sighed at this revelation from Good. _I know. There always are. _Regret filled him as he reflected on Hutch's decision, and what his fate was likely to be. A hand on his shoulder brought him around.

"Are you all right?" She-Ra asked, her face full of concern.

"I failed," He-Man said softly. "Even Keegan went on to a better place, She-Ra. But Hutch chose evil. I couldn't stop him."

"You can't make choices for others," She-Ra reminded her brother. "Besides, there's still a chance to save him. He's not dead yet.

"I know," He-Man answered doubtfully, his eyes hard to read in the moonlight.

"Are you okay?" she asked him again, worried. He-Man's teeth flashed in the dim light, appreciating her concern.

"I will be," he said assured her warmly. "Let's go home, Sis."

"He-Man…" She-Ra said hesitantly. "There's something you should know."

He frowned at her serious tone. "What is it?"

"It's Teela."


	27. Chapter 27: Explanations

As He-Man listened to his sister, he could feel his blood pressure actually rising from a mixture of anger and worry. "Where are they? Did they go back to the palace?" he asked harshly, his face lined with concern.

"I don't-," She-Ra began, only to be interrupted by another voice.

"I was able to transport Man-at-Arms and the Captain back to the palace magically," Rueben said from the cave entrance, his rounded posture betraying his insecurity. He looked from She-Ra to He-Man nervously. "The others took a wind raider back."

"Mine," Sully deduced, almost apologetically. "There was no other here. We can go to Bereathia to get another one, but it will take time."

"She-Ra, Hawk, go back with Sully and Beau," He-Man ordered absently. "I'm going straight back to the palace."

"But how-?" Beau's question was cut off as He-Man jumped from the ledge and slid down the mountain on his feet as easily as if he were skiing downhill.

"He could have used one of the winged horses," the Specter said weakly, knowing the offer was coming too late.

"I can't believe him," She-Ra muttered, her hands on her hips.

"I can," Beau said softly. "He loves her and he's worried about her." There was a shadow in his gray eyes as he spoke, but no one saw it in the darkness. They all watched as He-Man reached the bottom of the mountain, then took off running, his form a blur in the moonlight. Beau turned reluctantly to Sully. "Father, we need to talk."

Sully regarded his son steadily for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I think we do. But first, let's get these folks on their way."

* * *

By wind raider, the trip from Bereathia to the palace took nearly three hours. On foot, it typically took a day and a half.

He-Man made it in ninety-seven minutes.

The moons were almost gone from the sky; dawn was only a couple of hours away when he arrived at the palace. Winded and too exhausted to realize how much his chest hurt, he went straight to the infirmary. Duncan woke slowly and said nothing as He-Man entered, glanced around, and promptly turned back into Adam. The fatigue and pain hit him hard when he did so, but he ignored it as best he could.

"Duncan, is she going to be all right?" Adam asked in a dead tone, afraid of the answer and lacking the energy to sound any differently. Her skin was snow-white against her red hair, her breathing shallow.

"I think so, Adam," his mentor replied quietly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "We gave her a blood transfusion, and she seems to be recovering well. Her blood pressure is back up, her heartbeat is steady, and her temperature is slowly rising back to normal."

Adam nodded, then sank into a chair next to Teela, grasping her hand tightly. "Don't you leave me," he commanded her softly. "You know I won't do any training if you're not here to make me."

Duncan smiled slightly. "She'll be all right, Adam." The prince didn't answer, but some of the tension left his shoulders. He leaned his elbows on her bed and stared at her face, stroking it gently. A few minutes later, his head began nodding. Then his arms were folded and he was asleep, still holding her hand.

Duncan frowned, remembering the slash He-Man had taken to the chest. He stood there indecisively for a moment, then went to get his supplies. He'd give Adam a sedative and then stitch him up. It would be easier than waking up the prince just to argue with him.

* * *

Randor entered the room carefully, balancing the tray in his hand, and quietly closed the door behind him. Even so, Adam jerked to a sitting position from a second bed Duncan had had brought in. His chest felt oddly tight; he put a hand there and realized after a moment that he was feeling stitches there. A rueful smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. _Duncan._

"I'm sorry, son, I didn't mean to wake you," the king said softly. He noted that Duncan and Lana were not in the room; he hoped that meant that Marlena had succeeded in getting them out of the infirmary for a while.

Adam ran a hand down his face, trying to drag the sleepiness from it through sheer willpower. "That's all right, Father," he replied with a yawn, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He went to Teela and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. Then he raised his arms, trying to stretch out the kinks in his back.

"How is she?" Randor asked, setting the tray down on the table.

Adam shrugged. "She still hasn't woken up as far as I know," he replied, his blue eyes reflecting his concern, "but Duncan swears she's going to be fine." He yawned again. "What time is it?"

"Nearly lunchtime," Randor said with a small smile, knowing very well that Adam had not returned until only a couple of hours before dawn, and that he had lost quite a bit of blood from his chest wound. His son had to be exhausted. He hesitated, then plunged ahead, his brown eyes apologetic. "The nobility met this morning, Adam, about the warrant for your arrest."

Adam froze and carefully controlled his facial expression before looking at his father. "Already?" he asked.

Randor nodded. "A good many of them came as soon as they heard we were missing again, so they were already here."

"Oh," Adam said tonelessly, reaching down to brush his knuckles against Teela's face. "What was their decision?"

"After hearing the evidence against you and listening to Sully swear that you were somehow framed by Hutch, a lot of them were inclined to revoke the warrant," Randor said, sitting across the bed from Adam. "But the rest wanted to know exactly how you could have been framed so carefully. I didn't have an answer for that, Adam. Neither did Sully. It was a tie vote."

Adam's eyebrows drew together as he took Teela's hand and absently stroked it. "So what does that mean?"

"I think it's a good thing, actually," Randor reassured his son. "As soon as Duncan could, he radioed the guards at Amanda's house in Bereathia, and they went over to Myrna to search Hutch's castle. They found the Sword of Truth there. So for now, you're confined to this room," Randor hid a smile at the relief on Adam's face, "and when Teela wakes up, we'll see if the sword can show us what happened. If not, we may have to go to trial."

Adam groaned. "Not again," he muttered.

"Stop whining," Teela whispered from the bed.

Adam's face lit up at the sound of her voice. "Teela? You're awake?" His eyes fell to her face, watching in delight as her eyelids fluttered and she licked her lips tentatively.

"No, I'm talking in my sleep," she muttered in a raspy tone, blinking her eyes slowly as she tried to focus. "What happened?"

"Everything's all right," Adam assured her, his eyes full of gratitude and love as he took both of her hands in his. Teela could feel the strength of his concern and reassurance in his grip. "Everyone's safe."

"That demon?" she asked, struggling to remember.

Adam's face fell. "He got away," he admitted quietly. "And Hutch joined him."

"Hutch?" Teela's eyes grew wide. "I must have missed something here. Hutch was behind it all?"

"He thought he was," Adam confirmed. "The demon was just using him."

"But what about Lee?" Teela asked, trying to get her mind working properly. "The person we were looking for should have held a debt over him. Why would Lee have owed Hutch money?"

"That garden is on a section of land that Bereathia traded to Myrna for mining rights on the eastern slope of the mountain," Randor said, sounding a tad disgusted with himself. "I signed the agreement several months ago, but never made the connection."

Teela processed this information for a few minutes, feeling as if every breath was costing her energy. "So what happened to Hutch?" she finally asked.

"He gave himself to the demon in exchange for enough power to defeat He-Man and She-Ra," Adam said lowly.

"But it didn't work," Teela said with a feeble smirk. When Adam didn't respond, she frowned. "Adam?"

"It didn't, but they're still out there," her fiancé admitted, his voice heavy.

Randor frowned; he could see that Adam was very upset about Hutch's defection. "Well, Teela," the king said in an effort to distract his son a bit, "as soon as you're well enough we need your help. The Sword of Truth has been found, and we need to know how Damien framed Adam."

Teela nodded weakly. "As soon as I can hold a sword," she promised. She struggled to sit up, and Adam gently lifted her up with an arm behind her shoulders as Randor quickly piled pillows behind her.

"Thank you," Teela said breathily.

Randor nodded, his gaze softening. "I'm glad you're all right, my dear." He cleared his throat as he turned back to Adam. "Son, we need to talk, soon. My father has something he wants to share with you and Adora. I'll let him know that you're confined here. Perhaps he'll choose to include Teela as well."

"Confined here?" Teela asked, her eyebrow raised.

"I'm not cleared yet, and I'm stuck here under guard," Adam said with a huge yawn.

"I didn't know my company was so boring," Teela told him in mock anger, crossing her arms. Randor chuckled.

"He's not doing too badly, considering," he said with a lopsided smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "He ran here all the way from Bereathia when he found out about you."

"What?" Teela exclaimed. Her eyebrows pulled together in frustrated confusion. "I'm not following all this very well. You'd better tell me what's been going on, and start from the beginning."

"I'll leave that to Adam," Randor said, going to the door. "I'm going to let your parents know you're awake, Teela. There's food on the table there. You should both eat."

He wasn't even out the door when Adam gathered Teela to him, holding her tight against his chest. "You scared me," he scolded her gently.

"I know, you told me not to do that again," she mumbled against his chest, a smile playing about her lips. "I think we'd better get used to it. We seem to be a target."

Adam's arms tightened about her as he acknowledged the truth in her words, but the panic that used to accompany that idea was missing. "We'll just have to pray Good protects us, then," he murmured into her hair. He put a finger under her chin and tipped her face up, then kissed her tenderly, her lips soft under his. Teela sighed deep in her throat as his love washed over her.

* * *

"What happened to the Specter, sis?" Adam asked Adora when she dropped a few hours later. He was lounging on the extra bed, fighting to keep his eyes open.

Adora smiled teasingly at him. "Oh sure, now you worry about him. This morning you just took off without worrying about capturing him."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "I had other things on my mind," he countered good-naturedly.

"Like breakfast?" Teela teased.

"Absolutely," Adam answered with a straight face. Teela and Adora laughed, and he finally grinned. "So what happened to him?" he prompted Adora.

"He surrendered quietly," Adora responded soberly. She felt sorry for Reuben, actually. He had seemed so placid once the demon had stopped messing with his mind. "He said he knows he has a debt to pay, and he'll accept whatever sentence we give him."

Adam relaxed against his pillows. "Good. At least he's taken care of, even if Hutch and Damien are still out there."

* * *

Miro paced nervously in the room, Adam and Teela watching with a mixture of amusement and anxiety. They were sitting on the blue low-back couch, having just finished dinner. Adam was still confined to the room, and Teela was out of bed against the healer's wishes. She leaned back against Adam, hoping she could stay awake for whatever it was Miro wanted to discuss. Cringer laid at their feet, purring loudly now that he had Adam back in one piece.

Marlena, Randor, Hawk, and Adora finally entered, followed by Duncan. Miro had struggled with who to have present for his announcement, but couldn't deny his grandchildren's betrothed. They deserved to know about this as well, he reasoned.

"Well, we're all here, Grandfather," Adam said, easily taking charge as he was apt to do. Randor threw him a bemused smile. Adam was acting more and more like He-Man every day, though he doubted his son realized it. Since he hadn't needed to put on an act in months, what used to be second nature had fallen to the wayside. "What's on your mind?"

Miro straightened his shoulders and looked around the room as he drew in a steady breath. "A long time ago, before I married your grandmother, I was married to one of the jungle elves, Keely."

Adam and Adora exchanged surprised glances. Marlena squeezed Randor's hand, having expected this type of announcement. "What happened?" Adora asked, her sweet voice full of sympathy.

"I was a prince, remember," Miro said somberly. "I was supposed to marry for political reasons. My father was not as understanding as yours. He tried to force marriage contract after marriage contract on me. Princess after princess was set after me, like a pack of scent hounds looking for their prey." He reached up and scratched his beard, suddenly looking his eighty-two years. "I wed Keely in secret, and sought the proper time to break the news to my father. But that time never came." He swallowed hard and looked to Randor for help, his throat closing up.

"Keely and their son, Keldor, remained hidden in a cabin in the jungle," Randor supplied. "It wasn't just your great-grandfather they had to be concerned about. The blue-skinned jungle elves were regarded with great suspicion and hostility. It was dangerous for Keely and Keldor to make themselves known."

Adam frowned. He had heard rumors of these elves and their savage ways, but like most rumors, he had filed away the information away as something to be remembered but not taken seriously. Perhaps he should have paid more attention.

Unshed tears bright in his eyes, Miro continued, "I returned to the cabin to bring them home when I was convinced that my father would never be ready to hear of my disobedience." The former king stopped for a moment, his eyes clouded with the pain of the past. The tears that had threatened before now rained silently down his face as he began again, haltingly. "I knew something wasn't right as soon as I pulled up in my transport. The door was left open and it was too quiet. I walked in and Keely was…." Miro's voice broke. Randor squeezed his shoulder bracingly. Miro took a deep breath and continued on. "I entered and she was dead—murdered. I don't know how long I held her before I was able move again. When I could move I realized that Keldor was missing." Tears welled up in Adora's eyes as he spoke. Having been ripped from her own family, she couldn't help but wonder where Keldor might be now, what he might be going through. _Could he be a prisoner as I was?_

Marlena stood and hugged Miro fiercely. "You poor man," she said, tears flowing freely. "I understand how you must have felt. When Adora was taken…" She gathered herself together with a visible effort. "It was the worst moment of my life. But the years of not knowing where she was, agonizing over it…"

Teela and Hawk exchanged uneasy glances, both having questions neither felt it was their place to ask. Adam surprised Teela when he stood abruptly, hands on his hips, and interrupted his mother, demanding, "Why haven't we heard about this before?"

Anger laced his words, and Duncan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at Adam's vehemence. Marlena let go of Miro and turned around, her mouth dropping open slightly. Adam ignored her and held his grandfather's gaze. The force of his emotions had caught Adam off-guard as well, but in the back of his mind he knew the reasons. If his family or friends had failed to search for him any one of the times when Skeletor had captured him, or sent him to another world…he would be dead by now, or imprisoned forever. The idea that a relative of his might be in that situation, or enslaved as Adora was, infuriated him.

"You were royalty. You had troops and nobility at your command. There should have been a massive search," Adam deduced. "But if there had been, we would know about it. You didn't even search for him, did you?" His voice rose in challenge.

"I did look for him, Adam!" Miro shot back fiercely. "I found his crest on the border of the Vine Jungle. I stumbled into the jungle still covered in blood from Keely's wound. I looked for weeks before I grew too sick to continue searching and crawled out of that cursed place." He remembered with a shiver how delirious he had been, and how broken he had felt for years afterwards.

The prince and the former king stood there, staring at each other for a full minute, Adam taking in his grandfather's pain and Miro seeing the confusion in his grandson's eyes.

"Then why?" Adam asked again, more quietly this time.

"There were a lot of reasons, none of them good enough," Miro admitted, his heart full of regret. "I didn't believe my father would help me for one. And in my grief, I wasn't thinking clearly at all. I believed Keldor was dead. There was no sign of him except the crest." His voice fell to a whisper. "I had instructed him on how to find me…and…he should have been able to, if he had been alive. When I found out that he hadn't perished as I had believed…well, let me back up a bit."

Adora reached out and took Adam's hand. Her brother glanced at her in surprise, not even realizing she had come up beside him. She offered a pleading look, and he forced himself to relax.

"I was pushed into another marriage soon after Keely was murdered. It was a marriage I had not the heart for nor the desire to fight against." His face softened. "Your grandmother was the best thing that could have happened to me, though. I learned to love her, although not as fiercely as I had loved Keely. Years later, after I married Ranay, she made me go to the Oracle at the Sea of Rakash to learn the truth about Keldor. I think maybe she was tired of catching me in moments of regret." Miro looked down, embarrassed at how much his own sorrow had cost his family. There had been many times when he had been lost in thought when his mind should have been on the family in front of him.

"So I went, and learned that Keldor was still alive," he went on, his hand clenching into a fist in frustration. "By then I had three other children, and there was some unrest in the kingdom. I put out the word that I was looking for a blue-skinned young man—for that's what he would have been by then—but not his relationship to me. If I had revealed that there was a lost prince, imposters would have been lined up out the door. So I remained silent about Keldor's true relationship to me, and no one came forward. I learned nothing. Then the wars began, and I was captured by the Enchantress." He shrugged helplessly. "I am deeply ashamed that my silence kept my son from me for all these years. You can't imagine…" he trailed off, his brown eyes dark.

"We'll help you look for him, Grandfather," Adora offered firmly. "Won't we, Adam?"

"Of course," he agreed immediately, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Grandfather." Marlena smiled proudly, wiping at the tears that wouldn't stop coming every time she looked at Adora or Miro.

"That's all right," Miro said, nodding at Adam. "You've had a rough couple of days, and now I've dumped this on you. The timing could have been better."

Duncan stood and reached a hand out to Miro. "I wish you had told us years ago, sire," he said reproachfully, "but we'll do all we can to find your son."

Miro felt a physical lift of relief that his family and friends were being so understanding. "You're good people," he said, his look including them all as he returned Duncan's handshake. "When I saw how much you believed in Adam and what you went through to find him, I knew I had been wrong to keep this a secret. I'm sorry I didn't tell you long ago."

"So does this mean I won't have to be king?" Adam joked half-seriously, trying to lighten the atmosphere because Miro's eyes were again shimmering with unshed tears. "After all, he's firstborn, right?"

Miro's mouth dropped open. "He's just kidding, Father," Randor rushed to say, glaring at Adam, who smiled sheepishly.

"I think I'd better get some more sleep," he murmured as he sat down on the couch next to Teela again. "My mouth seems to have a mind of its own tonight."

"I'm sure I can find another way to keep it busy," Teela whispered, her breath tickling his ear. Adam flushed slightly from the rush of desire he felt. He looked up to find Duncan glaring at them.

"I'm sure you two will be happy to know that you can both return to your own quarters tonight," he said innocently. "I'm afraid you'll still be under guard, though, Adam."

"The nobility are scheduled to come together in the morning, immediately after breakfast, to see what the Sword of Truth has to reveal about Amanda's murder," Randor added, his own fatherly glare telling Adam he knew exactly what was on his son's mind. "I think it's time we all retired and prepared for it."

Adam swallowed hard under the hard stares of the two men. "Yes sirs," he said somewhat guiltily. He caught Adora's laughing blue eyes and barely resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her. "That sounds like an excellent idea, Father," he said instead, getting to his feet. "Good night, everyone."

* * *

Saul escorted Adam into the court room the next morning, his dark face solemn with concern for his prince. The nobility were already seated where the observers would normally sit. Randor sat in the judge's seat. If the nobility voted to send the case to a formal hearing and possibly to trial, an outside judge would be brought in as had been done when Adam had been accused of cutting down Darren in cold blood. Today, though, was an informal hearing in the presence of the main nobility, his family…and the masters, Adam noted with surprise.

He held his head high and kept his shoulders relaxed as he walked to the front. Hutch had admitted to framing him. He had nothing to fear. He felt only a morbid curiosity and apprehension about how Damien had done it.

Teela came in right behind Adam, the Sword of Truth firmly in her grasp. It already felt warm, as if it knew she was going to be calling on it momentarily.

Adam nodded respectfully to his father, then took a seat facing the nobility. He studied their faces with interest. He found it somewhat amusing that there were some with disapproving frowns, some with what he assumed were meant to be reassuring, friendly looks, but came across as worried, and others that didn't seem to care one way or the other.

"Good morning," Randor greeted everyone, standing. "Thank you for coming. I know we all want to get this out of the way, so I'll ask Captain Teela to bring up the Sword of Truth and see if it can reveal anything at all to us."

Teela marched to the front, hiding her anxiety. So far, the sword had always shown the truth relating to someone's life, either by revealing a happening or an identity, or revealing how their evil ways had affected them. She wasn't sure this was going to work, since Adam had apparently been unconscious or drugged. Adam caught her eye and recognized the subtle downturn to her mouth. He quirked an eyebrow slightly in question, but she made no sign that she saw it. Her arms trembling slightly, she raised the sword and pointed it at her beloved.

A yellow glow encompassed the blade and gently reached out to Adam, slowly surrounding him. Between the sword and the prince, a circle slowly grew. Adam, walking through the Evergreen Forest away from Grayskull, could be seen.

"There's got to be a way to prove Amanda's lying, but how?" Adam's voice came from the magical circle. The flesh-and-blood prince swallowed hard to get rid of the disoriented feeling that came from watching and hearing himself.

"No one except my family and close friends knows I was on Etheria the night she's claiming I got her pregnant," the voice continued, causing Adam to tense up. He didn't know how far along those lines his thoughts had traveled. He watched as the image slowly descended into the hollow. "So I'm not sure that's going to—whoa, what's happening?" The Adam in the circle staggered to the side. "So sleepy." He collapsed, and after what seemed to be an extraordinarily long time, a cloaked figure approached, felt Adam's neck for a pulse, and hefted the prince over his shoulders.

The screen went dark for a minute; possibly to indicate that time had passed and nothing changed, no one was really sure. But then the cloaked man and Adam appeared in a wind raider, not far from Amanda's home. The man muttered a few words, becoming invisible. Then they heard more muttering, and Adam appeared to wake up. He got out of the wind raider woodenly. He walked without trying to hide his presence in the town, although there were no other people around. He went straight to Amanda's house and knocked on her door. Amanda opened it, her eyes going wide with surprise and perhaps a bit of fright.

"Prince Adam!" she exclaimed as she stood aside to let him in. "Have you come to acknowledge your child?" she added a bit sarcastically as he entered without a word.

"Well aren't you going to say anything?" she demanded, her dark eyes flashing as she closed the door. "Or does your cowardly cat have your tongue?"

Still Adam made no reply. He stood in the middle of her living room, seeming to study the fireplace. Amanda flung her dark hair back and marched around to the other side to face him.

"Hello!" she called, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "Anybody home?"

The cloaked figure made himself visible with a suddenness that took Amanda back a step. "I'm here," he said on a hiss.

"Who are you?" Amanda demanded, a hand to her chest. "What do you want?"

"I've brought Adam here to kill you," the man said plainly. He pulled back his hood, revealing Damien's face. "Be a good girl, and scream loudly for me, would you?" he asked, anticipation in his voice.

"Adam wouldn't do that!" Amanda argued. Adam took a step towards her. "Adam? Adam, wake up!" She reached up and slapped him across the face as hard as she could, her nails raking his skin.

Adam froze; there seemed to be a struggle within him as his hand started to reach for her, then stopped. "No, no, no," his hollow voice echoed, revealing his thoughts, though his mouth didn't move.

Damien frowned. "Blast it all, the drug must be wearing off. He's starting to fight me," his thoughts came through. "And I don't have any more." A wave of his hand froze both the prince and Amanda. "I guess I'll have to kill you myself," he said to Amanda aloud, now smiling eagerly.

Amanda tried to move, but was rooted to the spot. She opened her mouth in a silent scream. Damien cut her throat lightly, and blood spurted forth, some of it landing on Adam.

"No," Adam hissed, his face still blank and his lips barely open. Damien paused.

"Oh, don't worry, Prince Adam," he said with false reassurance. "You won't remember any of this." He stabbed Amanda in the heart, cutting the aorta. Suddenly there was blood everywhere.

In the safety of the courtroom, Adam closed his eyes and turned away from the vision before him. He didn't want to see any more. Even so, he couldn't block out the voice.

"Now, then, to get you out of here and into the jungle," the demon said in satisfaction.

"Enough," Randor commanded. Shakily, Teela lowered the Sword of Truth, tears streaming down her face. "I think we all know what happened from there," Randor said, his voice heavy. "Damien, cloaked in magic, got Adam to the stream, either by forcing him to walk or levitating him there. From there, he teleported Adam into the jungle."

"I move that we dismiss the charges against Prince Adam," Sully said in almost a monotone, regret lining his long face. He mentally berated himself once again for falling for Hutch's plan. He could scarcely believe that he had believed Prince Adam—_He-Man_—of murder.

"I second," Grod said immediately, his voice also somber.

"All in favor?" Randor asked quietly. A chorus of "ayes" swept through the room.

As Randor dismissed the group, Teela and Duncan exchanged glances. Contrary to when Adam had been cleared of intentionally killing Darren, the group in the room seemed troubled, and angry. Most of them genuinely respected and even liked the royal family. The fact that one of their own, one they had trusted, had betrayed not only the crown, but them as well, wasn't sitting well with them.

"Father's going to have his hands full trying to keep the vigilantes off the streets," Adora murmured to Hawk. "Hutch better watch his back."

"It's going to be trouble," her fiancé agreed.

Adam made small talk and nodded politely as various lords and barons came by, but his mind was on what the Sword had revealed, and the events of two days before. As soon as he could, he slipped away and left the palace. Teela found him at his favorite fishing spot a few hours later, staring into the water.

"Where have you been?" she demanded, sounding so much like she had before she knew his secret that he actually smiled.

His smile faded as he answered her. "I don't remember it, but now I can't seem to get it out of my head. I keep re-playing it, as if somehow I'm going to remember doing all I could, as if that will make me feel better about just standing there while she died." He shook his head slightly.

"You couldn't help it, Adam," Teela reminded him, settling down on the ground beside him and leaning her cheek on his shoulder. "Just like you told Adora about being under the Horde's spell, you did all you could."

"I guess," he agreed softly. Teela tilted her head back to examine his face.

"What is it?" she asked perceptively. "Something else is bothering you."

"Damien said he couldn't kill me, that he was forbidden to do so," Adam said, his clear blue eyes meeting Teela's gaze. "Yet he killed Amanda and tried to kill you. What makes me so special?"

"Because death would not be Evil's ultimate triumph over you," Serena's telepathic voice sounded in his head, her falcon form landing on a tree nearby.

"Serena," Adam exclaimed, then quickly corrected himself with a grin. "Sorceress." The falcon snapped her beak at him.

"What did you mean?" Teela asked. Adam raised an eyebrow.

"You could hear her?"

"I chose to allow her to," Serena replied telepathically. "As for what I meant, my friends…I meant that Evil has no interest in killing He-Man or She-Ra. Their deaths would do little to further Evil's cause. Rather, its ultimate triumph would be to turn one of the champions, with hearts of pure goodness, to evil."

"By the Ancients," Adam ground out forcefully. "Doesn't Evil know that will never happen?"

"I am glad you feel so firmly about that," The Sorceress replied with a shriek. "Just remember, be on your guard, always, against evil thoughts or desires, Adam. They lead to darkness." She rose into the air with another cry and headed back to Grayskull.

* * *

_A/N: Yes, the epilogue is next, and yes, it will contain the wedding so many of you have been SO anxious to read. :-)_


	28. Chapter 28: Epilogue

_A/N: A couple of requests fulfilled in this one. Busard, the timing of this is for you. Hope you see it before leaving for Egypt. Teefana, the wedding scene is for you. Hope you enjoy._

* * *

A few days later, Adam was in Duncan's workshop, reportedly helping his mentor, but in truth hiding from wedding preparations. He looked up at his sister's voice. "Adam, do you have a moment?"

Adam grabbed a rag and wiped the grease off of his hands as Duncan nodded his assent. "Sure Adora, what's up?" her brother asked.

"Actually, you should probably both know about this," she said, her brow furrowed in worry. "When we were being held in the Specter's cave, Father had a heart attack."

"What?" Adam asked, going rigid. He had assumed Randor's illness had been caused by Damien.

"She-Ra was able to heal the damage done to his heart as well as clear the blockage," Adora hurried to explain, "but the propensity for another blockage to develop is there. He needs to take better care of himself, and he needs less stress. I might not be around next time it happens."

"It's going to be difficult to lower his stress levels," Duncan observed in a dry tone. "He's the king, and his children are-," he stopped and glanced around, feeling as if they weren't alone. "I don't know how it's possible."

"I thought maybe Adam and I could take on some more responsibilities," Adora admitted.

Adam was still lost in thought. Randor, a heart problem? It didn't seem possible. This was his father, who had loomed larger than life even to He-Man. Nothing could harm him…

"Adam?" Adora prompted him.

"What?" he asked, startled out of his reverie.

"Do you think it would help if we took on some of Father's responsibilities?" Adora repeated, a bit impatiently.

"Maybe," Adam answered noncommittally. "If we can get him to agree to giving some up." He shook his head. "There are a lot of things he's had me do in the past that the guard should do, frankly. He's adjusted that since he learned the truth, and he knows that I'm not the unprepared prince he thought I was. But I still think there's more he could assign to us."

"Well, I'll work on him when I get back from Etheria," Adora said, relieved that she and Adam at least had a plan to help their father, simple as it might be. "I'm leaving to go hand out _your_ wedding invitations."

Adam smiled at her. "Thanks, sis. And do me a favor. Make sure Castaspella knows that it would mean a lot to me if she would come, but I'll understand if she chooses not to."

Adora returned his smile easily. "I'll tell her, my brother."

* * *

Adora, Hawk, and Spirit were welcomed back with enthusiastic hugs and laughter. Adora was impressed with how much her friends had accomplished since she had been gone. All of the former slaves had been returned to their hometowns, and the rebels and villagers around Etheria had worked together to rebuild. The Fright Zone, the site of so many of her years growing up, was all but demolished. Most of Hordak's minions were in hiding or had left the planet.

Adam had visited Etheria often, but the wedding invitations were going to only a select few—those with whom he had worked side-by-side during the rebellion: Madam Razz and Broom, Kowl, Bow, Glimmer, Castaspella, Frosta, and Queen Angella.

"I wasn't sure he would feel comfortable inviting me," Castaspella said with a smile, looking at the invitation. "Of course I'll come, if only to spend some time with you, Adora."

The Eternian princess gave her friend a hug. "I'm so glad, Casta."

"Do you have time for a visit while you're on Etheria?" Castaspella inquired.

Adora nodded. "But not right now. There's something I have to do."

Hawk raised his eyebrows curiously as Adora bid the queen good-bye. "What is it we have to do?" he asked under his breath as they left, meeting Spirit just outside. Adora led the way into the woods and raised her sword.

"This," she replied. "For the honor of Grayskull!"

Hawk watched in utter confusion as she and Spirit transformed. "What's going on?" he asked when they were finished. When She-Ra glanced towards the remains of the Fright Zone, he understood. "Oh."

They flew towards it, She-Ra marveling at how much cleaner the air was already. It was going to take years for it to be pure again in this area, she thought as they landed just outside the Fright Zone's boundaries. But at least the chunks of the black soot were no longer floating through the air.

Hawk and Swift Wind waited quietly while she walked over to a lone grave marker—Hordak's. She had brought him back here to bury him, close to where he had spent most of his life. In spite of knowing how much he had been hated, she had been nonetheless had the marker engraved. She re-read it now as she knelt beside it.

"_Here lies Hordak, who ruled Etheria in evil but died to save a loved one."_

She could finally admit that she had loved him, still loved him, and as she repeated the words again, she knew without a doubt that he had loved her as well. "Wherever you are, I hope you have peace," she whispered. Tears burned at the back of her eyes, then spilled over without warning. _Please don't let him be suffering in Blazes forever, _she added silently. _He saved me. That has to count for something._

She stayed there for a few minutes more. "Good-bye, Hordak," she said quietly as she finally stood. She turned and went back to her friends. Hawk was absently stroking Swifty's neck.

"Where to now, She-Ra?" Swift Wind asked.

"We need to go see Light Hope," she replied, leaping onto his back. Hawk tilted his head. Her voice was choked, as if she were holding back tears. He mounted up behind her, and as they took off, she leaned back into him more than usual, trying to draw strength from his arms. He tightened his grip around her, and she let out a small sigh.

The air grew thinner as they flew higher and higher. Swift Wind landed just inside the entrance of the Crystal Castle, and She-Ra shifted her weight, letting him know to stop.

"Stay here, you two," she said as she dismounted. "I need to talk with Light Hope alone for a moment."

"I'm starting to feel like extra baggage," Hawk muttered to Swift Wind, who neighed in agreement.

* * *

She-Ra finished explaining her request to Light Hope. "Can it be done, Light Hope?"

His iridescent rainbow of colors vibrated more brightly as he answered. "Yes, She-Ra. But are you sure?"

Her blue eyes filled with tears again. "Yes," she said hoarsely. She listened carefully as Light Hope explained what she would need to do. "I'll go get him." A few minutes later she returned with Swift Wind and Sea Hawk.

"What's going on Adora?" Hawk asked, eyeing her tear-stained face.

"You'll see in a moment," she replied. She raised her sword, pointing the jewel at Swift Wind. "For the honor of Grayskull, hold your form, but let the power return!" The pegacorn stamped nervously, not understanding what she was doing, then Grayskull's magic hit him. There was a rush of energy and strength, then it left him, and he could barely stand. His legs trembled violently. She-Ra and Hawk were suddenly on either side of him, holding him up.

"What have you done?" he asked roughly. The weak feeling slowly faded.

"I've set you free of Grayskull, Swifty," She-Ra said, large teardrops sliding down her face. "You'll remain a pegacorn, so you can go and be with your family on Unicorn Island."

"But why?" her partner whinnied, despair in his voice.

"Because this is where you belong, Swift Wind," She-Ra told him softly, stroking his face gently. "I love you with all my heart, but you can't be with me like Cringer is with Adam. And the royal stables are no place for you, cooped up all the time with Duncan's metallic horses. You deserve to be free, with your mate and your son."

"But what if you need me?" Swift Wind asked, a tear falling from his own eye even as he trembled in excitement at the thought of seeing his family again.

"I'll come find you," She-Ra promised. "Every time I visit Etheria, I'll visit you."

Swift Wind looked from She-Ra to Hawk and back again. "And you'd better come get me for the wedding," he added with a definitive snort.

She-Ra finally laughed. "That's a promise, my friend."

* * *

The palace grounds were filled to overflowing this evening, except for the single aisle that led up to the raised platform. There Prince Adam of Eternia stood before the throng of people, resisting the urge to tug at his collar or adjust the ceremonial crown on his head. A golden medallion, his royal crest, hung heavily around his neck; like the crown, it was a reminder of the responsibilities he bore as prince and those he would take on in the future as king. An unfamiliar robe dropped to his knees, the royal blue lining and white fur trim doing nothing to hide his sculpted muscles. Nor could it hide the goodness in his heart. More than one woman watching was drying her tears for the wrong reason.

Adam didn't notice, though. He had eyes for only one woman: the vision of beauty slowly gliding down the aisle. Teela's red hair was swept up with a few curls caressing her neck gently. Her traditional headband that had marked her as Captain of the Guard was gone, replaced by an elaborate tiara of shimmering diamonds.

Teela's dress was flowingly simplistic. The neckline scooped down in a demure way. Long white sleeves ended in a point on the back of her hands. The gown fit her form perfectly, accenting her figure, while at the same time shimmering with its own sparkle. Diamonds, an early wedding present from Adam, adorned her ears and neck. But the glow on her face did not come from the clothes she wore or even the bouquet of pink sun lilies and midnight blossoms she carried.

"Isn't she lovely?" Lana whispered to King Miro. She had never known such joy as spending the last few months planning this wedding with Teela and Marlena. Even after all the excitement had died down, Adam had been busy with his own responsibilities and tried to avoid being overly involved. As a result, he had easily gone along with almost every decision they made.

"The vision of two people so incredibly in love is a sight to behold," Miro agreed softly, his heart torn with joy for the couple and a keen sense of loss. _Keely…I miss you. Keldor. Where are you? Are you married? Do I have other grandchildren I haven't even met yet?_

As was Eternian custom, Adam did not wait for Teela at the head of the aisle. Instead, he walked down and met her halfway, bowing deeply to her as a sign of respect. Teela curtseyed to him. Adam turned and bowed to Duncan, who returned the gesture, then walked up the rest of the aisle without his daughter, pride and joy on his face. He felt none of the sorrow of losing a daughter, but only the delight of finally officially gaining a son-in-law.

Teela held out her right hand. Adam took it and kissed it gently, then walked by her side up the rest of the aisle. Marlena wiped at her eyes as Adam and Teela walked past her. She glanced up at Randor and saw him blinking rapidly. Her own eyes filled with tears again, even as she laughed inside at her normally stoic husband.

Adora felt Hawk's hand on her own. Adora was thankful that she and Hawk had decided to wait. Adam and Teela deserved this to be their day alone, rather than sharing it. She smiled at the joy she sensed in her twin.

Randor swallowed hard against the emotions building up in his throat. As king he was expected to perform this ceremony, but he was so overjoyed for these two that he wasn't sure he could get through it. They had been through so much to get to this point. Now it seemed they would finally be allowed to live their lives—albeit in the public eye as king and queen once he stepped down, but even that would be better than the constant danger they had found themselves in last year-and-a-half.

"My people," Randor began as the couple stopped in front of him, "we have all had the pleasure of watching Prince Adam and Lady Teela grow up in our court. We have watched them play, scheme, argue, fight, laugh, learn, and grow. Through it all, they have had each other, and their love for each other blossomed so strongly that everyone could see it. Now they step forward into a new relationship, as husband and wife." He nodded to Adam. Eternian weddings came from the heart; there would be no easy repetition of phrases.

Adam felt no nervousness over speaking in front of thousands of people; he had grown up in the public eye, so it was second nature. However, he had worried over forgetting what it was he wanted to say once he looked into Teela's gorgeous green eyes. And for a few seconds his mind did indeed go blank.

"Teela, I love you with all my heart," Adam finally said, his attention completely on her. There could have been two people or two thousand present, and he wouldn't have noticed now. His voice, like his father's, was magnified by magic so that the crowd gathered could hear, but he didn't notice that either. "I love your smile, your courage, your tenderness…even your temper." Teela smiled tremulously at that. "When I'm with you, I feel as though I am complete. You are as important to me as the air I breathe. I pledge myself completely and totally to you, Teela. I promise, by Good itself, to cherish you and love you forever. Not even death will stop my love for you."

Tears trickled down Teela's face at the love and strength in Adam's tone. She couldn't resist reaching up to touch his face gently as she struggled to find her own voice. "Adam, you are everything I dreamed of as a little girl. I love your sense of honor, justice, and duty…You have a strength and a goodness inside of you that take my breath away. Simply knowing you has made me a better person. I love you completely, Adam. With Good as my witness, I pledge my love and fidelity to you alone, for as long as we live and beyond."

Randor cleared his throat with difficulty. "We have heard the confessions of love between Teela and Adam. Does anyone object to their pairing?" Perfect stillness greeted his question. Not even a child cried out. "Then, as King of Eternia, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

A great cheer rang out, and Orko said a quick prayer. "Please let this work." He waved his hands, and brilliant red, blue, and yellow fireworks sang overhead as Adam and Teela kissed tenderly, each reveling in the sense of completeness formed by their bond of love.

* * *

On a hill not far away, Hutch watched his former friend get married, an evil smile on his face. "Enjoy it while you can, Adam," he said cheerily. "It won't last. I'll make sure of that." He turned and fell into step beside Damien, and the two disappeared into the evening air.

* * *

_A/N: Next up is a different sort of story. It's a cooperative effort between Little Llama Girl and me, entitled "Interludes," containing loosely connected scenes of life on both Eternia and Carina. __**If you plan to read the story of "Skeletor's" return to Eternia, you really should read "Stumbling into the Light," or you truly will be lost. **_

_I'm happy to say that "Interludes" will give some of those scenes you all have been begging us for…happy, mushy stuff between the star couples and maybe even a Trollan wedding…while also showing what Hutch, Damien, and Devrian are up to. If there's anything you ever wanted to ask us to write about, this would be the time to do it, because explanations could fit in here…but we make no promises. ;-)_

_We aren't sure how quickly "Interludes" will go up, as the school year has us both running in circles. After "Interludes," watch for "Reunions," where Keldor is reunited with his family (notice I didn't say "happily" reunited… and yes, that's Little Llama Girl you hear snickering in the background). Also FYI, both of these, although co-authored, will be posted on my account, because I'm a control freak—um, I mean, because Little Llama Girl thinks that's where they belong. She's so nice. ;-)_

_Until then…God bless you all! And thank you for all of your reviews!_


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